Sri Lanka ships Lion beer in exchange for rugby players to Fiji!

Relations between Sri Lanka and Fiji go back decades and is rooted in rugby. Over the years Sri Lankans witnessed some of the finest Fijian rugby players in the likes of Nagata and Salusalu carry up to three local players across the tri-line to touchdown and score.

While Fijian rugby players made their presence felt in our island, Lion Brewery has embarked on a mission to stamp its footprint in Fiji by introducing local brews to the archipelago. The complete Lion range consisting of Lion Lager, Lion Stout, Lion Strong beer, Lion Extra Strong beer is available across leading bars, hotels, restaurants and popular retail outlets across the 332 Fijian islands.

Fiji is one of the hottest tourism destinations in the world attracting large numbers of tourists especially from Australia, New Zealand and the US. The company will also soon introduce Lion Coffee Stout alongside Ryder’s Wild Apple and Ryder’s Reggae Rum. 

“The advent of our beers into Fiji opens an exciting new chapter of the Lion story, as this historic Sri Lankan brand grows its presence around the world. Lion’s desire for quality alongside its unparalleled flavour has made it immensely popular amongst beer connoisseurs the world over, and our presence in Fiji will provide an ample platform to serve other markets in south and central Pacific region,” states Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC Director and CEO Suresh Shah.

The arrival of Lion in Fiji was marked with an official launch event in its capital, Nadi, with significant media coverage, whilst the brewery together with its distribution partner, Lyceum Global Trading, will host a mega launch event in Suva next month, the second largest city in Fiji. The Lion portfolio is already on shelves at popular retail outlets generating great interest amongst consumers – especially Lion Strong. Lion will soon become available at all popular hotels, resorts and clubs whilst online orders and a home delivery model is also being set up.

As part of its next phase of growth, Lion will look to expand its footprint into New Zealand, Samoa, Vanuatu, Kiribati and New Caledonia. Lyceum Global Trading Director Peter Narayan, states the wholly Fiji-owned company is driven by its vision to provide superior quality and affordable products to local beer lovers. “Lion has etched an illustrious path in the market, infusing world-class best practices, innovation, state-of-the-art technology and a knowledge pool beyond comparison,” he added.

Former National Fijian Rugby 7’s captain, Kalione Nosoko, alongside other dignitaries including ambassadors from across the world attended the launch event. Lion beers will be promoted at sporting events, on radio and national television and the brand has already got listings at high profile supermarket chains like Carpenters Group and RP Patel and more.

Lion beer is available at high-profile bars and restaurants across Europe, Africa, North America and Asia and is fondly promoted by a passionate Sri Lankan expatriate community the world over. Lion has won prestigious awards such as the Monde Selection, World Beer Awards and the New York International Beer competition.