Fiji Rugby Union lacks funds to send team to 2011 Rugby World Cup - Rugby News
Fiji Rugby Union has issued reports of its financial shortfall and said that it will not be able to send its team to participate in the forthcoming Rugby World Cup. The Union Chairman, Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, told the media today on Friday, May 28 that
FRU will not be able to send its squad for the largest event of the rugby calendar because of a huge financial crisis.
The Fiji Rugby Union has been in continuous crisis after a military coup took place in the islan nation in 2006. The union was earlier facing an international ban on participating in the upcoming world showpiece because of the absence of democracy in the
country. Later it was conditionally allowed to take part in the Rugby World Cup if at least assured elections within the union’s board member elections.
Another major issue with the union was that of travel bans on its military related players and officials in New Zealand. New Zealand denied issuing visas to Fiji’s military related persons to travel inside their territory until democracy is revived in the
country.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr John Key, has reiterated his stand yesterday, of not allowing the prohibited people to travel in his country. He said that, "At the end of the day, we don't take our riding instructions from the IRB. Our view is that
we want to see democracy restored in Fiji. This is the only thing that we've got that holds their feet to the fire."
Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga told the media that the union required at least five million Fijian dollars to send its team to New Zealand, which their coffers lacked. The military government of Fiji announced the allocation of 400,000 Fijian dollars for the union
which are yet to be received. Chairman said that, "That's the area that has been a concern for FRU for a long time."
The military has been intervening in rugby matters since it took over command of the state and the International Rugby Board is not happy with its devastating role. Fiji has a good unit of rugby players and in fact they qualified for the quarter-final stages
during the 2007 RWC.
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