Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) chairman John Sanday has praised the Fiji Bitter Labasa 7s, describing it as a competition with strong potential to become one of the best in the country.
Speaking during his visit to Labasa for the tournament, Sanday said the event holds special meaning for him, as he played much of his early rugby in the Northern Division.
“I think it’s a wonderful competition. It has the potential to be one of the best in Fiji. I have a very soft spot for Labasa because I played most of my young man rugby here,” Sanday said.
He said FRU was keen to see the Labasa Sevens grow and improve, especially as a platform for young players to develop.
“I would like to see how we can encourage the Labasa Sevens to become one of the best in the country,” he added.
Sanday said he was impressed with the talent on display, particularly in the U21 grade.
“I think we can see the talent on display with the under 21. There’s really some good talent out there. That’s the first thing that we need to harness and what we need to build up and bring to develop those young men. I’m impressed with the talent there. It’s looking good.”
The FRU chairman said competitions like the Labasa 7s play a key role in developing future rugby players, noting that his own rugby journey started in similar tournaments.
“I came from this kind of competition. This is where I found and expressed myself to become a good rugby player.”
Sanday said his presence at the tournament was also to show FRU’s commitment to grassroots rugby development.
“I’ve travelled all the way to Labasa to come and attend. It’s just to show that we at FRU are serious about grassroots. We’re here to develop and we’re going to develop.”
He said despite limited resources, FRU remains committed to supporting grassroots rugby.
“We’re going to plough the resources that we have, scarce as it is. We’re going to make it work for the grassroots.”
Sanday added that rugby plays an important role in shaping young people beyond the field.
