Improper consultation causes jersey saga
It’s a complex issue – Cotter
FLYING Fijians coach Vern Cotter said the “Vaccinate Fiji” jersey saga was because of improper consultation and preparation.
Asked by stuff.nz after the 57-23 loss to the All Blacks Cotter said it was a complex issue handed to them with little time to resolve.
“It was sprung on the players quite late in the piece, and there wasn’t a lot of exchange and consultation,” Cotter said.
“We really haven’t got the full answer.”
With no clear solution, the Vaccinate jerseys were shelved with a clean jersey chosen instead, while the matter later to be addressed for clarity’s sake.
“As you can imagine, it’s a delicate subject for some, so it was probably better to just have a clean jersey at this stage, and spend some time on how we best want to communicate on this matter and how comfortable the players are in communicating it.”
Fiji wore clean jerseys during the All Blacks tests after ditching the ‘Vaccinate’ messaging at late notice, prompting concern from medical professionals that it could hurt vaccination efforts in the COVID-hit country.
Meanwhile, Fiji Rugby Union says it will discuss players’ concerns about wearing jerseys supporting COVID vaccinations before the second Test against the All Blacks in Hamilton, RNZ reported.
The team were supposed to wear jerseys with the words “Vaccinate Fiji” on the chest in Saturday’s 57-23 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin, but the idea was ditched because of opposition from some team members.
The country is being hit hard by a COVID-19 outbreak, with more 8000 active cases in isolation and 52 deaths.
As of July 9, 349,396 Fijians have received their first dose of the vaccine and 65,618 have received their second dose.
According to RNZ, FRU chief executive John O’Connor said the union would talk to players and sponsors to decide the best way to promote the “Vaccinate Fiji” message in next Saturday’s game.