Fiji In World Rugby Plan

The Fiji Airways Flying Fijians will regularly be playing the All Blacks,Wallabies and Springboks if they maintain their current ranking and a proposed new World Rugby format is approved.

The proposed new format replaces the original plan to exclude the Pacific.

Rugby Union chairman Francis Kean said last night the FRU “is very positive and is excited with the proposed format of the World Rugby Nations Championship”.

He said that would not only include the Flying Fijians, but also provide competitions for Tonga and Samoa with meaningful opportunities for promotion and relegation between the proposed three Tiers of the competition.

Kean and FRU CEO John O’Connor recently returned from the World Rugby high level meeting of Tier One Unions, including Japan, Fiji and the international player representatives in Dublin last week.

He said World Rugby, in that meeting, outlined the details of a game-changing competition model “that delivers a true pathway for all unions through a three-tiered format including a promotion and relegation system.”

Commander Kean said the World Rugby Nations Championship, earmarked to kick off in 2022, would see Fiji in the southern hemisphere grouping of the 12 team Tier One conference.

“This is based on Fiji’s current world ranking,” he said.

He thanked the chairman of NZ Rugby and SANZAAR, Brent Impey and the SANZAAR Unions for their strong backing for Fiji’s inclusion in the Championship.

“We are very thankful for the strong support from the SANZAAR Unions.”

Commander Kean also thanked Word Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and his team for introducing this new product and opening up pathways for emerging nations to be based on merit.

“The last rugby product introduced by World Rugby was the Rugby World Cup, which was staged in 1987 in New Zealand,” he said.

Commander Kean said this new competition was a breath of fresh air to opening up the sport and its earnest drive for rugby to become a truly global sport.

“The pathways offered to rugby playing nations is highly commendable and I salute Sir Bill and his team at World Rugby for introducing this long overdue product.”

Commander Kean further added that World Rugby Tier One playing nations are at the crossroads of making a massive decision for the sport; to remain a closed sport or opening it up for opportunities to emerging rugby nations.

He believes that a wise decision will be reached in the coming weeks.

Commander Kean also wanted to reassure our players with the current and ongoing discussions with World Rugby.

He called on our national rugby players to ensure that we continue to perform on the field of play to guarantee our rugby rankings in the top 12, and a place in this new World Nations Rugby Championship by 2022.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce