Page 32 - IB OCT 2017

Sports Dictatorship We don’t need a Pakistan Hope MIlitary’s reasurance good for
type rule P35
Fiji P35
Bid for 7s World Series leg

Fiji to showcase hosting credentials with Oceania Sevens

By Joe Yaya

Fiji has always been in the top three
of the world standings in rugby sevens.
And now the women’s team is in the top
four. But they have never hosted a HSBC
Sevens World Series.
While other teams in the top 10 rank-
ings enjoy the financial benefits that come
with hosting what has now become a truly
global sport, Fiji is readying an application
to join that exclusive club.
The Fiji Rugby Union is submitting its
interest to World Rugby after the bidding
process opened in September. Bruce Cook, Laisenia Tuitubou, Fiji’s Minister for Youth & Sports Laisenia Tuitubou and FRU CEO John
FRU president and Prime Minister Frank O’Connor with the pools of the Oceania Sevens. Photo: Oceania Rugby
Bainimarama said Fiji would do what is an online campaign (#Fijifor7s) asking Australia, Samoa, American Samoa, Cook
necessary to present a compelling bid. fans to register their support so they can Islands, Tonga, PNG, New Caledonia,
“We have the players, we have the will, make a convincing bid to World Rugby. Nauru, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and
and we have a people with a passion for “I’ve been getting updates and we are Tuvalu).
rugby sevens.” quite happy that people are registering The women have eight teams (Fiji, NZ,
Ten developed cities currently host a their support,” FRU CEO John O’Connor Australia, PNG, the Cook Islands, Samoa,
leg of the series that runs for six months. said. Tonga and Tahiti).
Two of them, Sydney and Hamilton, are To hasten the process, the government Cook says the other positive about Fiji
in Oceania. of Fiji has given its full support to World is it’s a regional hub and only takes one
The other eight are Dubai, Cape Town, Rugby for Suva to host the Oceania Sevens flight to get there.
Las Vegas, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Sin- tournament for the next three seasons “Fiji provides a cost effective and good
gapore, London and Paris. from November 2017 to November 2019. return on investment as far as hosting a
The cost benefits in those cities fall in This window will give Fiji the chance tournament go.”
favour of World Rugby due to the scale of to prove to World Rugby it’s ready and Ticket prices have been reduced with
fan population, good sporting infrastruc- capable to host a series in 2020. the hope that packed houses will send a
ture, availability of hotel accommodation, Bruce Cook is the man that will oversee signal to World Rugby. Grandstand for the
and financial capacity of the fans to attend the project. He is World Rugby’s Develop- two days is $15 and embankment is $7.
the games. ment Services Manager for Oceania. Cook says the local fans have a big part
This quadrangular pre-requisite is man- Cook says the government, the FRU, the to play and if they come through the gates
datory before World Rugby can consider hoteliers and other stakeholders will have in numbers for the next three years, it
a bid from a host union. to work together to pull this off. will show the people of Fiji want a HSBC
Next year’s New Zealand leg of the “At the end of the three years, we will Sevens series here.
series has been moved from Wellington have the jigsaw put together and hopefully “At the end of the day, we want World
to Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium after Wel- World Rugby will see this is a pretty good Rugby to stand up and say these guys
lington recorded financial losses in 2016 place to hold the sevens.” deserve a series,” FRU CEO John O’Connor
and 2017, as it struggled to attract bumper This year’s tournament that runs over said.
crowds it enjoyed since 2000. two days from November 10-11 marks The website address to register your
So among the myriad of checklists for the return of Australia and New Zealand support is www.fijifor7s.com
the FRU is an assurance that the Suva leg men’s and women’s teams. r yayajoe@gmail.com
will be financially profitable. It’s launched There will be 13 men’s teams (Fiji, NZ,

32 Islands Business,October 2017