Court orders Tonga Rugby to hold AGM
The Tonga Rugby Union plans to hold a new Annual General Meeting in December, following a decision by the country’s Supreme Court that changes made to the constitution were unlawful.
The judgement effectively ruled out any decision or appointment made at the meeting, in May of last year, after the amended constitution was accepted as illegal.
This included the appointment of Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva as TRU president, with the positions of the Board, CEO and President declared void and the original version of the constitution to be recognised.
The former Tonga Rugby Union CEO, Fuka Kitekei’aho, said a new administration should be sorted by the end of the year. “Because we have a parliamentary election coming up on November 16 and I think everybody is kind of busy,” he told Radio
New Zealand. “The meeting is pushed back to December - some time early December - we should have a meeting and that’s the role of the (Acting) Attorney General to come and do.”
The ‘Ikale Tahi coach Toutai Kefu said, in the absence of senior management at the Union, World Rugby have been assisting the team with preparations for their November tour.
“We still have some TRU staff there - some office people there - I talk regularly with but in terms of people above me at the moment it’s a bit of a question mark,” he said.
“World Rugby have been kind of escorting myself and a couple of key staff members in getting prepared for this tour and obviously with their funding they pay for all our needs on tour. “So whenever we need anything they’ve been very helpful and they’ve been assisting and guiding us in preparation for the tour, so they’ve been great.”
Meanwhile, the Japan Rugby Football Union confirmed Wednesday that the Brave Blossoms will play Tonga on November 18 at Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse, France.
The union also confirmed the game the following week against France will now be played at the U Arena in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris.
The November 25 test against Les Bleus was originally slated for Lille, but the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is hosting tennis’ Davis Cup final that weekend, forcing the change.