Page 7 - IB November 2019

We Say We Say

Fiji shows its style on the RWC pitch Photo:Zoom Fiji

SAYONARA AND ARIGATO GOZAIMASU JAPAN playmaker Jerry Tuwai finally snatched the Player of the Year award in the Sevens
Tonga, Samoa and Fiji should feel pride in their performance at the Rugby World category after being consecutively nominated for the last three years.
Cup in Japan this month and last. All three teams did exceptionally well but were not What is the worth of the Pasifika Rakavi in the World Rugby scene and the sad,
good enough to make it through to the Cup quarterfinals this time around. brutal reality of the modern-day professional rugby?
There were times that our warriors gave some of the rugby’s top nations a good It is no secret that tier 1 nations have been cherry picking some of the best talent
run for their money and upsets were just fingertips away, although we suggest some from the Pacific Islands especially in Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
of the games involved very controversial calls against our Pacific boys. Most players do not have other secure options to fall back on when their rugby
World Rugby and other rugby commentators might say otherwise, but through career ends and the act of securing a decent contract is first priority. Commonly these
our eyes, our boys were robbed of victory in some instances. For example, in the Fiji players are the main breadwinners in their families. The overseas clubs know full well
vs Australia game, referee Ben O’Keefe made some very some very controversial calls of this fact and they pounce on it like hungry predators looking to bite off the juiciest
that cost the game for the Fijians. piece of meat.
Sideline experts were quick to step on the heads of the tournament organisers as Should World Rugby look into establishing some guidelines for overseas clubs
some games were forfeited as Typhoon Hagibis ravaged Japan. to ensure fair dealing with Pacific Islanders? And we renew calls for a review of the
However, the backroom boys were brilliant in dealing with player’s welfare and Players Eligibility Rules to ensure more flexibility for players wanting to play for their
safety and the aftermath of this unforeseen force of nature. There priority was to countries of birth and heritage.
ensure no players or visiting supporter was injured or worse. We in the Pacific, with World Rugby and the Pacific Islands should work hand in hand in order to
our long history and vulnerability to natural disasters, know well that safety must address these questions once and for all; we don’t want to be having this discussion
trump sport. again in 4 years’ time.
Japan was the lone tier 2 nation able to qualify into the Cup quarterfinals as the
tournament progressed. Evidently, the canyon between the tier 1 and tier 2 nations Correction
was very clear. The home team was the darlings of the tournament as they won all We wrongly attributed authorship of the article “Understanding history to
their pool games including a shocking defeat of world no.2 Ireland, making for one plan the future” in our August issue. The author of this article is Dr Claude
of the RWC’s greatest upsets. Posala. We sincerely apologise to Dr Posala for the mistake.
World Rugby hosted a ceremonial awards night in Tokyo a day after the grand
final. Deservingly, the RWC victors South Africa claimed the Team of the Year We Say is compiled with the oversight of the editor
accolade. The Springboks also claimed Coach and Player of the Year titles. Fiji 7’s

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