New Hope For Women Ruggers
Women rugby sevens side Lillian Amazons have secured a lifelong sponsorship with the newly established Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, Bula Outsourcing.
As part of its community initiative and women empowerment, Bula Outsourcing is assisting women in rugby through mentoring and funding.
Lillian Amazons are the first to benefit from this sponsorship.
Bula Outsourcing chief executive officer and managing director Josie Prasad said this would help the players after rugby.
“It is basically on women empowerment, as young women we are teaching them that nothing is impossible,” Prasad said.
“Just like we do with the rugby boys in terms of what we do with Plan B.
“For rugby you retire at about 30, but life continues. There’s one thing the coach said for having a goal; I’m really big on that, if you don’t have a goal, what are you chasing?”
“And that sort of thing we like to teach, it will be a positive environment – we just love what we do and we are going to help in any way we can with education, ideally that will be great to employ – to have that opportunity.
“This is for life. My son will continue after me. It is here to change lives; it’s here for a long time.
Prasad hopes to start a graduate program me where women study part-time and work part-time to pay their study fees.
“For us, its dealing with their future and helping build that for them so the team that we choose should suit that their mentality to better yourselves and improve and help those we could.
“There will be teams after that will follow the same principles as us,” Prasad added.
Lillian Amazon coach Tihrani Uluinakauvadra applauded the initiative.
“For me it’s not about the things we can easily sort everyday like the jerseys, food, camp but it’s the lifelong skill – that is key for players,” he said.
“It’s more than rugby, this is where we share common values that bring us together.
“Some of these girls are having challenges in terms of finding employment, supporting their education. There are few graduates and some are still in high school.
“The club is based on how we can make these girls be better in life, yes rugby is the ultimate game they play but at the end of the day we want to ask ourselves what can we offer to the girls and it is where this sponsorship comes in.
Lillian Amazons had former sprinters Laisani Moceiswana and Naomi Navuga. Moceisawana is part of the Fijiana 7s extended squad.
