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Sports

There’s alk of a boycott by Pacific rugby players ollowing the unveil by World Rugby of its World League proposal. Photo: Supplied
need to feature games that really matter because “fans want to great for us”.
see meaningful games.” “If it was based on merit, Fiji would be in, but if it was based
It is clear the Pacific islanders will not go quietly or give in on money then Fiji would be out, just simple as that.”
willingly to World Rugby’s proposed ‘push over scrum’ approach.
Leading opposition from Pacific players was former Samoan The final whistle?
Rugby international, Daniel Leo. The former lock forward is Gaining more exposure for rugby while maximizing profits
the also the current president of Pacific Rugby Players Welfare from new markets in the process is not a bad idea.
(PRPW). But in neglecting to fully disclose the matter to the wider rugby
PRPW aims to look after the welfare of the 600 players from community, especially Pacific Island nations and other small rugby
the Pacific island countries playing internationally, and to give developing countries in Europe and the American continent, they
them a voice. are inciting a head-on clash.
Leo’s response to the World Rugby proposal was to tweet; The Chief Executive of Pacific Rugby Players, which represents
“there is no feast without the fire.” some 400 professional players globally, says the plan would be
The Pacific Players groups even floated the possibility of boy- the death of Pacific rugby.
cotting the Rugby World Cup in Japan this year, and all 15s and Aayden Clarke told stuff.co.nz “historically the islands have
7s international matches if they are excluded. contributed hugely to the game across the world.
Samoa Rugby Union’s Chairman and Prime Minister, Tuilaepa “Looking forward, there are 18-year-old young Samoans, Ton-
Sailele Malielegaoi says the proposed competition would relegate gans and Fijians now who will now be looking at ‘who do I make
those teams not involved to second class status. myself eligible for’ because if I play for my home country I will
“From the viewpoint of developing and growing the sport never play in the bright lights of Twickenham and possibly will
internationally, this is a big blow to the aspirations of our young never have the opportunity to play the All Blacks or Australia.”
players.” Former Tongan international and Pacific Rugby Players chair-
“It is not based on merit, it is based purely on the wealth of the man Hale T-Pole says World Rugby is either arrogant or stupid
unions concerned…. The World Rugby has always been pushing for rushing the proposal through.
for the development of tier 2 countries…in Samoa we were the Pacific Islanders playing rugby on the world stage make a con-
first of the Pacific Island countries to enter the World Cup in 1991 siderable contribution to their communities at home. A Massey
and we smashed a tier one team, the Welsh, and since that time we University study in 2015 found that Pacific players send around
have beaten the Irish, the Welsh several times, Scotland, Ireland, NZ$21.7(US$14.82m) million home annually. That is between
Italy and of course the Wallabies. And in 2013 we achieved the 6.8 and 13.6 more per capita than the average migrant and is
highest ranking of 7th in the world, but we were never recognised five per cent of all remittances.
as a country that should have moved up to tier one.” Taking the hard hits head on, blow-for-blow and one after the
Fiji Rugby Union’s Chairman, John O’Connor was already other, would be the most accurate way of describing how it all
in Dublin to meet with bosses of the rugby world and was not went down. And in the end the voices of the Pacific islanders
available for an interview at the time of printing. However, the and the ever-growing developing rugby nations from Europe
Union’s High Performance Unit Manager, Geoff Webster said: and American Continent was not left unheard.
“Fiji’s inclusion into the World League Proposal would be really r ajvpareti@gmail.com

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