Support Fiji 7s Bid
President calls on all Fijians to back Fiji 7s bid by registering online
President Major General (Ret’d) Jioji Konrote has called on all Fijians to support Fiji 7s bid to host a leg of the HSBC World Rugby Series by 2019/2020.
He made the comment after he registered online at Boron House in Suva, yesterday.
Konrote has invited all Fijians to register online and support the bid.
“I have the pleasure to register online and to show our support towards the bid for Fiji to host the World Sevens Series,” he said.
“From this moment, I should have the pleasure to show my support. I call on to all Fijians who have yet to do so; to please do so before the deadline of our submission to World Rugby.
“As the Fijian President and Head of State, it is appropriate for me to show my support to the bid, this also being done as my additional capacity as patron of the Fiji Rugby Union.”
He said sevens rugby play an important role in uniting the people of Fiji and has also become a source of livelihood for the players.
“I am supporting because we are the Olympic champions in sevens rugby and I am also aware of how Fiji sevens game could unite our people and our nation,” he added.
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- Now it’s time… President (Ret’d) Major General Jioji Konrote (right) is behind Fiji 7s bid to World Rugby. after registering online at Borron House, Suva on February 26, 2018. Photo: Nacanieli Tuilevuka
“We saw that happen in 2016, when we collected our first Olympic gold ever at the summer Olympics in Rio.
“The week immediately Fiji became the most researched country on Google.
“Fiji is now a brand name internationally especially in World Rugby Sevens.
“Fiji has won the Sevens Rugby World Cup title twice in 1995 and 2007, the Fijians are also dominant in the Hong Kong leg.
“In fact, my research shows that Fiji has won the Hong Kong leg 17 times over the years and we are the current champions.
“The game of sevens rugby has no longer become a sport, it has become a source of livelihoods of our sports people in this nation.
“Most of the players have moved on and have earned contracts overseas.
“Rugby is now part of our culture and is in our blood and may all Fijians now support our bid,” he said.
Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer John O’Connor said, it was an honour and an exciting time for the President to join the bid.
“We are very humbled that the President had shown his support in the bid,” O’Connor said.
“I do not have the figures on the total amount of the online bid we have received.
“We are in our final stages in preparing our bid and we need the support from the President to boost our bid.
“We have also received support from locals and internationally as well. With our online bid we have also received from Fijians living abroad.
“I would like to thank the general public with their continuous support and I would like to urge the general public to continue supporting the bid,” he added.
Edited by Leone Cabenatabua..
Feedback: nacanieli. tuilevuka@fijisun.com.fj
