MATCH officiating must rise to the occasion and meet Fiji’s new status as a tier one rugby nation.
This, according to Fiji Rugby Union chairman John Sanday while addressing rugby referees gathered at the Fiji Rugby Referees Awards earlier this month at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
He urged referees to embrace the Fiji Rugby’s vision of moving the game forward, particularly to younger and upcoming referees.
“I urge you to embrace the change and work with FRU and it’s new vision to make rugby excellence as part of our existence as we venture out into the historical rugby nations cup (Nations Championship) next year,” Sanday emphasised.
He drove the point while commending the work done by referees, coaches and educators in uplifting younger referees, particularly in their work towards ensuring the game remained as one of respect and excellence.
And in helping realise that vision, he put forward the notion of how referees were forces of change in making the move towards the Nations Championship more prominent.
“Our match officiating also has to rise to that level in the quickest possible time to do that,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Jese Saukuru, echoed similar sentiments in his keynote address afterwards, envisioning a future where Fiji’s tier one status was not only reflected in matches on the field but in officiating as well.
“Looking ahead, we see a future where Fiji aspires tier one status, not just in playing, but also in officiating.
“The work of our referees directly contributes to this goal,” Saukuru said.
