FRU clears air on Fiji Kava deal

All Blacks first five eight Aaron Cruden has been named in the Chiefs starting line-up for their Super Rugby Aotearoa encounter with the Blues in Hamilton tonight.

Chiefs head coach Warren Gatland has named a determined matchday 23 to face an in-form Blues team.

Lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi will move from the bench into the starting XV in jersey number five to combine with Tupou Vaa’i, who made his debut in last weekend’s narrow loss to the Highlanders, in the only changes to the Chiefs pack.

All Blacks scrum-half Brad Weber will again captain the side in the absence of Chiefs and All Blacks skipper Sam Cane.

Weber will combine with the experienced Cruden at 10 in the only change from last week’s starting backline, with Bay of Plenty’s Kaleb Trask, who started at flyhalf against the Highlanders, providing cover on the bench.

Utility back Shaun Stevenson will run out on the right wing for his 50th game in the Chiefs jersey.

The Chiefs reinforcements of prop Reuben O’Neill, loose forward veteran Adam Thomson, rookie Lisati Milo-Harris and electrifying back Solomon Alaimalo will complete an exciting twenty-three. Gatland said the team were eager to return to FMG Stadium Waikato and deliver a much improved performance for their fans.

“Last week against the Highlanders we weren’t clinical enough and they capitalised on those opportunities we gave them. This week we need to be sharper and deliver a more dominant performance,” he said.

“The Blues have some great playmakers and will be a dangerous team. They performed well last week against the Hurricanes and will be hoping to back it up again. “The guys are excited to run out to the field in front of what is expected to be a near capacity crowd. It is now up to us to deliver for them and show our thanks for their support.”

Gatland congratulated Stevenson on his achievement.

“Shaun is a talented player, who has great attacking ability,” he said. “He has already demonstrated that earlier this year on a number of occasions and we hope this weekend he can celebrate in a similar fashion.”

Planet Rugby

Fiji Rugby has clarified that player welfare issues were seriously discussed and acknowledged during the negotiations of its commercial partnership with Fiji Kava.

FRU CEO John O’Connor clarified that from the outset of the negotiations, player welfare was paramount and as such there is no contractual obligation on players to use kava capsules as their performance recovery programmes.

“The decision to join in partnership with Fiji Kava, as a global distributor of noble kava products, is a commercial decision,” he said. “This allows Fiji Rugby and our teams to respond to our traditional and customary obligations of which kava plays a significant and important role.

“Our partnership with Fiji Kava has allowed us to respond to these obligations with minimum costs.” O’Connor said kava has a special place in our culture and tradition and in the same way Fiji Rugby supports and develops the nation’s rugby talent.

“Fiji Kava supports and develops the farmers, manufacturers and yaqona produced across Fiji, distributing it to the world.

“It must also be acknowledged that a significant number of our domestic players and those who play in club rugby in our islands are yaqona farmers and rely on the sale of kava products to support their families.”

He said Fiji Rugby are emphatically committed to the governing laws of World Rugby in particular the anti-doping protocols and guidelines in play and will never place athlete wellbeing or high performance at a risk.

“No player under Fiji Rugby responsibility would ever be supplied a prohibited or untested substance.”

The Fiji Rugby’s High Performance and sports medical department work closely with all parts of the organisation and have full support in their role as managing the well-being of our athletes and ensuring the mitigation of any potential risks to performance.

“To suggest a commercial partnership would overrule the High-Performance Unit’s dedication to elite performance practice is abhorrent. “We are proud of the role rugby plays in showcasing Fiji to the world and just like our other global partners we are proud to support Fiji Kava for also taking the beauty of Fiji to the rest of the world.

FRU Media

leonec@fijisun.com.fj