Page 32 - IB April 2018

Rugby

From page 30 team playing in the Australian conference of Fijian players are.
of the Super Rugby. But with the introduction of the Drua
And if the players want to venture out- and the Pacific Islands Combine in the
and nine each from the Tonga and Samoa side the region, Peter Horne says: southern hemisphere, McKee is excited
A-teams were drafted in to a week-long “It gives them the opportunity to develop by the prospect of having more players
intensive programme. a bit more as a rugby player before they on professional contracts closer to home.
The Pacific Islands Combine is not a go in to a remote location where they find It’s a move he believes will make his
coaching module to assess the player’s themselves without the connections of task of bringing squads together for in-
abilities in kicking, catching or passing. the Pacific.” ternational duty a little easier.
Rather, it’s a holistic approach looking Last year saw the participation of the “If we can get a bit more balance be-
at physical attributes, medical screening, Fijian Drua in the Australian NRC, the first tween north and south, that’s going to help
and psychometric tests to measure mental professional team from the Pacific. They the Flying Fijians to be more competitive
skills. reached the semifinals in their maiden on the international stage,” McKee said.
It’s similar to if you were travelling or appearance. World Rugby now has a dossier of
migrating abroad and have to go through Before the semifinal match, the Flying the players they have identified from
painstaking steps. Fijians coach John McKee wrested their top the Pacific Combine. This month, those
At the end of it is contracts with over- players for the national team’s November players will gather in Auckland for a final
seas clubs in Australia, New Zealand and Europe tour. In the game against current screening before the pool of players best
Japan that World Rugby is arranging. Six Nations champs Ireland, the Irish were suited for the clubs that will employ them
The first lot of successful players will get lucky two late penalties just got them over are named.
hooked up with clubs that perform in New 23-20 in Dublin. Since this will become an annual occur-
Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup like Taranaki, Wel- Fiji is the only Pacific country in the rence, players who miss out on selection
lington, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, North top ten world ranking and McKee knows could well have other opportunities come
Harbor, Canterbury and Otago. In Austra- if they are to remain there, it’s vital that along at a later date. If any of the clubs
lia it’s with the Western Force, Canberra many Fijian players are in professional need a player for a certain position, World
Vikings and Queensland Country who surroundings playing top club interna- Rugby will place them there.
are part of the Australian NRC (National tional rugby. Both the Mitre 10 Cup in New Zealand
Rugby Championship) franchise. For McKee has always picked his players and Australia’s National Rugby Champi-
Japan it’s the Sunwolves, the only Asian from Europe because it’s where the bulk onship kick off in August.

32 Islands Business, April 2018