Just a month after the Fiji Football Association and the Fiji Rugby Union settled their double-booking issue with the Fiji Sports Council, the two sporting organisations have once again found themselves in another venue booking controversy- this time with the Suva City Council.
The booking dilemma is over Alber Park in Suva which Fiji FA wishes to utilise for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 2025 while the FRU need the ground for training purposes for the FIJI Water Flying Fijians and Scotland.
Fiji FA claimed that they formally submitted their request over a month ago.
“In fact, during our first face-to-face meeting with SCC, we were clearly told that no bookings had yet been received from other parties, including Fiji Rugby,” Fiji FA general manager operations Anushil Kumar stated.
Kumar said that they had requested for Alber Park grounds two and four, leaving one and three available for rugby should they require to use it.
“This was based on our understanding that the Scotland men’s rugby team was visiting Fiji, even though at the time, no official FRU booking existed.
“The initial quote we received was $52,000, a 500% increase from what we had paid in a similar setup during a prior international tournament.
“After raising our concerns and negotiating in good faith, we were presented with a
revised figure of $36,000. Even then, Fiji FA agreed to double what we previously paid, well above market rate, because we understood the importance of ground upkeep and were acting in national interest,” Kumar claimed.
No payment was done by Fiji FA as negotiations were ongoing.
It was during this negotiation period that they received an email from SCC on June 17,2025 declining their request.
According to Kumar, the email from SCC stated, “As much as your proposal to pay for our facilities, our priority is the sustainability of Albert Park. Also, during your dates FRU will be hosting Tier 1 nation Scotland in Suva. Thus,
the use of Albert Park for training purposes for Fiji and Scotland will be given priority.”
Disappointed, Kumar said the email felt discriminatory and as much as rugby is valued in the country, equal treatment must be afforded to other sports, especially women’s sports, and that’s what is at the heart of this issue.
Kumar added that the event is strategically important for the development of women’s football, gender equality in sport, and Fiji’s international sporting image.
It is expected to also bring an estimated $1.7 million in direct economic impact to the country through hotel accommodation, transport, flights with Fiji Airways, food, shopping, and use of local services.
The OFC Women’s Nations Cup starts on July 4 and ends on July 19.
Questions have been sent to the Suva City Council and remained unaswered when this edition went to press.
