Cup campaign

SILKTAILS READY TO MOVE CAMP TO AUSTRALIA

THE Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL) anticipates an exciting future through the involvement of the Kaiviti Silktails Rugby Club team in the 2021 Ron Massey Cup in Australia.

The Lautoka-based outfit is expected to travel to Australia on January 25 on a chartered flight to take part in the annual competition which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic after round one last year.

FNRL acting chief executive officer Don Natabe is excited that the team has been given the green light.

“We are all happy,” Natabe said. “The team is in camp and preparing well. We are thankful to Australia for giving us the green light and the chartered flight. They are expected to leave for the Gold Coast, get into their quarantine program and head to Kingsford in New South Wales which will be their base for six months.”

The Ron Massey Cup is a semiprofessional development level rugby league competition in NSW, Australia, run jointly by the New South Wales Rugby League and the Country Rugby League of NSW.

The competition is run concurrently with the National Rugby League (NRL).

NSWRL chief executive officer David Trodden earlier confirmed to Rugby League Planet of the Kaiviti Silktails’ participation this season. “The Kaiviti Silktails from Fiji are a confirmed starter and contingency plans have already been devised to deal with any travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

“This season has thrown up plenty of challenges but there have also been plenty of highlights to go with it,” said Trodden.

Rugby league legend Petero Civoniceva and former Fiji Bati captain Wes Naiqama are among the instrumental figures in the formation and coaching of the Fiji-based team.

“Unfortunately because of the pandemic there will be no home game for the Kaiviti Silktails.

“We are happy that it has been given the go ahead and we anticipate a good future brought by the team in term of player exposure, remittance to Fiji and the sport, and to the development of rugby league in Fiji,” Natabe said.