The Fiji Water Flying Fijians have arrived in Liverpool and begun preparations for their second Nations Championship fixture, where they will face England on Saturday, 11 July, at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Following the opening-round clash against Wales and a weekend of travel, the squad eased back into training with a gym recovery session before turning its attention to the upcoming encounter.

Although the match will be played in England, Fiji is officially the home team for its July Nations Championship fixtures in the United Kingdom.

The squad has been dealt an injury setback, with experienced backs Semi Radradra and Tim Hoyt ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after sustaining injuries during Fiji’s opening 39-24 defeat to Wales in Cardiff.

Head Coach Senirusi Seruvakula said the team has identified key areas that require improvement ahead of facing England.

“We were slow in areas of the match, and we will be working on those areas this week as we prepare for the match against England,” Seruvakula said.

“We need to be smart in the way we deliver our way of rugby and finding a balance heading into the next match.”

England enters the contest ranked sixth in the latest World Rugby Rankings, with Fiji sitting ninth.

After the opening round of the Nations Championship, Wales tops the Northern Hemisphere standings, while South Africa leads the Southern Hemisphere table after defeating England 45-21 at Ellis Park. Fiji and England are both currently at the bottom of their respective conference standings.

Saturday’s fixture will also mark a historic occasion, with Hill Dickinson Stadium, home of Everton Football Club, hosting its first-ever international Test match.

The venue has previously staged football and rugby league events, but this will be its first international rugby union Test.

Interest in the match continues to build, with strong ticket sales reflecting fans’ excitement to see the Flying Fijians take on England at one of the United Kingdom’s newest sporting venues.

England holds the upper hand in the rivalry, having won 10 of the 11 previous meetings. However, Fiji will draw confidence from its memorable 30-22 victory at Twickenham in 2023, the nation’s first-ever win over England.

Kick-off is scheduled for 2:10pm BST, with Fiji’s July Nations Championship campaign concluding against Scotland at Murrayfield on 18 July.