WE WON
WE DID NOT GO WITH THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE GIANTS WHOSE SUPPORT FOR FIJI HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN WHAT IT COULD HAVE.
The election of Bernard Laporte yesterday as World Rugby vice-chairman augurs well for Fiji.
The always outspoken Laporte has big plans for the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians building up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
The French Rugby president has plans in the pipeline to improve Fiji Rugby.
And included in the rugby engagements is the annual internationals against France or the French Barbarians starting in November,
Our national teams, right from the Under-20, will camp with their French counterparts with expenses to be paid by French Rugby.
Fiji Airways Flying Fijians new head coach Vern Cotter is believed to be supportive of shifting the training base to France as a lot of our Fijian players play in the Top 14 competition.
Cotter is a former coach for strong Montpellier RC and his French rugby connection will help our cause.
More recently, through Laporte’s support, French Rugby supported FRU chairman Francis Kean’s nomination to the powerful World Rugby executive committee. Laporte and World Rugby copped flak with Kean withdrawing his nomination admist the controvesy.. But in the end we played our cards right backing the right men to lead World Rugby.
And our future looks bright with friends of Fiji Rugby at the helm for the next four years.
Now all nations should unite in Union and rally behind Sir Bill as chairman and Laporte.
Fiji was among the first countries to openly declare support for the former England captain and we trust Sir Bill and Laporte’s immediate and long term strategy would be to get our national sport back on track and return it into good financial health,
Promising to revolutionise the game, the 68-year-old beat his former deputy, ex-Argentina skipper Agustin Pichot 28-23.
Sir Bill promises to continue supporting Pacific islands rugby with redesigning eligibility laws on his to-do list.
But the hard work starts now for Beaumont and Laporte who have a lot on their plate guiding the sport through the turbulence we are experiencing worldwide through COVID-19 pandemic.
Laporte said: “During this unprecedented and global Covid-19 crisis, we must act and unite unions from the north and south and the professional leagues around a common objective to define a strong and sustainable future for all.”
Sir Bill said: “Over the last four years we have achieved a lot, but we are at halftime and need to press on in the second half. I’ve a clear mandate to work with Bernard to implement progressive, meaningful and sustainable change.”
World Rugby is in good hands and Sir Bill and Bernard deserve our pick.