Power play
AGREEMENT GIVES WORLD RUGBY POWER OVER FRU
WORLD Rugby holds the power in deciding who the next Flying Fijians coach will be.
This is in line with a tripartite agreement between World Rugby, the Attorney-General, the Minister of Youth and Sports, FASANOC, the Olympic Committee, and Fiji Rugby in May last year.
According to Fiji Rugby Union Board of Trustees interim chair Peter Mazey while the agreement has given World Rugby power over domestic issues, it allowed for Fiji’s continued engagement in rugby globally.
“It was a very strict agreement signed between World Rugby, the Attorney-General, the Minister of Youth and Sports, FASANOC, the Olympic Committee and Fiji Rugby. That gave World Rugby a lot of power over Fiji to have the say on who can and cannot be appointed. So, now we are negotiating through that, World Rugby will be coming to Fiji on March 18 or the week of that date to meet with the government,” Mazey explained.
“It’s out of Fiji Rugby’s hands, we have put our recommendations through, and it is now sitting with World Rugby and Fiji Government. I can say that World Rugby last Friday had a meeting with our High Commissioner in London, with the first secretary of the high commission and they have now sent the messages through to the government to try and speed the process up.”
When asked if World Rugby can decide who the next coach will be, Mazey said; “Basically yes. I’m not saying it is acceptable but it was an agreement that meant that we could go to the World Cup in France last year, it meant that we are in the HSBC SVSNS Series, and it meant that our Drua are playing in Super Rugby. None of that would be happening if we hadn’t had an agreement signed last year.” However, if World Rugby suggests an overseas coach, it breaches the Fiji Immigration Act of having local coaches as understudies. Senirusi Seruvakula, who is one of the shortlisted candidates, was the understudy of former coaches John McKee, Vern Cotter, and Simon Raiwalui.
“That’s one of the questions that’s being asked by the government as he has been the understudy three times. That’s one of the issues that will be discussed by World Rugby on the week of March 18. We will touch on the laws of Fiji and what it means for the board’s recommendation to World Rugby and hopefully they come up with a decision that meets with our recommendations,” FRU interim administrator Simione Valenitabua said.