SCHOOLS TEAM TO TOUR NEW ZEALAND

FIJI Secondary School rugby league players have been gifted an opportunity to showcase their wares with the resumption of the Fiji U18 Schoolboys Junior Bati to tour New Zealand again this year.

Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League representative and Fiji National Rugby League board member Taniela Vakamoce has confirmed that the doors had been opened again for the annual tour to resume this year.

“We are thankful that we have been given the greenlight,” Vakamoce said.

“After missing out last year we are excited to secure through the New Zealand Rugby League who host us this year a three-match tour to New Zealand for our Junior Bati.

The Junior Bati will play matches against the Auckland U18 rugby league team, Waitoa U18 team from Tauranga and the New Zealand U18 selection.

Vakamoce highlighted they were confident of unearthing future starts through the process which had brought to light famous players such as Marika Koroibete, Virimi Vakatawa and Sefanaia Naivalu just to name a few.

The Junior Bati squad will be announced during the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League national quarter-finals next week.

Meanwhile despite not fielding a team this year, students of Rishikul Sanatan College have taken up their love of the game of rugby league to new heights by helping as officials at this year’s Fiji Secondary Schools South Eastern Zone Rugby League finals.

“We have put up this initiative for students in schools that are not able to form a rugby league team as this is another way of roping them to be part of the competition,” said Vakamoce

“I am encouraging students who know that they are not able to play footy to take up refereeing.

“It is a pathway and professional referees are also earning millions of dollars in contracts in the NRL competition,” Vakamoce said.