Fijian Bati Need $0.8 Million For World Cup

The Fiji Bati team need to collect $0.8 mil­lion in the next six months to be able to participate in the Rugby League World Cup, in England, which starts on October 15.

This was confirmed yesterday by Fiji Na­tional Rugby League (FNRL) chief executive officer Don Natabe. His management team had over the past two years worked on logistics and mapped out strategies to ensure the Bati achieve its target as outlined in its Kalawa 17.21.25 program me.

“We are looking at $800,000 right now and that is for the RLWC alone,” he said.

Natabe said, the figure is likely to increase if the Bati play a mid-year test during the stand alone State of Origin series.

He is optimistic that business houses would join hands with the Bati as they look to turn the heat on the Tier 1 nations at the World Cup.

“We are grateful that the tournament was de­layed as we are in a better situation than last year where COVID-19 directly affected a lot of our partners,” Natabe added.

Bati winger suspended

Meanwhile, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has de­clared that homophobic slurs will not be tol­erated in the game after Warriors and Bati winger Marcelo Montoya was suspended on Tuesday night.

A public apology and vow to never again use a gay slur helped Montoya to escape with a four-match ban but Abdo made it clear that there was no place for such comments.