ALREADY major sponsors of the Ba Rugby Union, Vinod Patel have come on board again with a new arrangement to support grassroots rugby in Ba in the form of the Vinod Patel Cup (Premier 16) and the Inox Trophy (lower division).
“Club rugby is at the core of our foundation,” BRU Secretary Gaby Kautoga said. “Club rugby is why we are here – to engage the villages from around the province and to bring communities together.”
“This new sponsorship is absolutely vital for rugby development and we are so grateful to the team at Vinod Patel for making the decision to back club rugby.”
Vinod Patel CEO, Rahul Amin, expressed his enthusiasm for the sponsorship, stating: “Rugby is deeply rooted in our Fijian culture, and we are thrilled to support the Ba Rugby Union Club Championship.”
“This partnership aligns with our vision of empowering local communities and fostering the growth of grassroots rugby. By investing in this competition, we aim to provide a platform for emerging talent and help shape the future of Fijian rugby.”
Kautoga added that BRU has nearly 40 teams registering for the club championships which now kick off on 15 March, a week later than was stated last week.
“We had 32 clubs in 2024, but this year we’ve already received entries from six new teams – Drala (Savatu), Western Saints (Bulu), Vunavuga (Qaliyalatina), Natutu (Nailaga), and two teams from the Moto area – Black Sand and one from Vatusui close to the Ba River.”
The official launch of the Vinod Patel Cup and the Inox Trophy will take place this morning in Ba with a march of the Team Captains from Varoka Police Post at 11am along Main Street to the Vinod Patel store.
