Sports administrative work can be rather boring at times, but essential to the smooth running of competitions.
Ba Rugby’s growth over the last 18 months comes with higher expectations of doing things the right way and having transparent processes whether in terms of discipline, match officiating or player eligibility.
“We still have a lot to learn,” BRU Secretary Gaby Kautoga admitted.
“Each week, it’s like something new comes up that we have to deal with, and we are thankful to our club and tikina members not only for their patience but also their input and ideas as we expand our operations.”
Yakete Nakula did not manage to field a women’s team in the 2023 Rooster Chicken Shield, and doubts appeared when their team didn’t make it for Round 1 of the 2024 tournament last month.
But come Round 2, the Yakete ladies jogged onto the field in formation, gathered for a prayer and then let Qailyalatina Bure know they were deadly serious with a comprehensive 24-0 win.
For Round 3, the manager not only submitted their individual player registrations tying them to Ba, but also delivered a release letter from Yasawa Rugby Union for the 12 players who had previously played there.
“This all happened within a couple of days from when we delivered the registration forms,” Kautoga said.
“The majority of these players are from Ba but they school in Lautoka.”
Remarkably, Yakete then defeated Magodro 34-0 to send the team through to today’s Rooster Chicken Shield semi-finals where they meet Nailaga.
“One of our big goals for 2025 is for the Ba Women to win promotion to the ANZ Marama Championship, and this will give the team a terrific boost.”
Another high point last week was the administrative efficiency of the Veiyasana Under 19s team.
“Having only received the registration forms on Thursday, the Veiyasana Junior side not only had them all completed in time for Saturday’s game but they attached the birth certificates too,” Kautoga said.
“The Ba Tikina Championships not only identify aspiring players for the three Ba representative sides, but it is also a pathway for coaches and officials.
“I think we can identify the managers and assistant coaches for the Ba teams here; some new faces are showing how competent they are.”
In the other Rooster Chicken Shield semi-final, defending champions Veiyasana Cagilaba take on Bulu.
In the Ba Industries Cup, a last-gasp penalty goal saw the Veiyasana men’s team top their table with a 12-10 win over Qaliyalatina, with both sides going through to the Cup semis.
All three Nailaga Tiliva Bukuya teams managed to top their pools, while the Naloto Under 19s downed Bulu 22-14 to edge their way through to the Allied Buses Trophy semi-finals.
All 24 teams play today. Entry is $4 for adults, $2 for youths.
