Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is demanding answers for the ‘poor’ condition of the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva during the FIJI Water Flying Fijians Test match against Scotland last Saturday.
This followed the wide-spread criticism and debate on social media regarding the state of the national stadium with fingers pointing back to the responsible authority to provide answers.
Some suggested that the foot-traffic of events at the ground showed the need for better up keep especially with football matches being played before and after that Test match. The caretaker of the stadium is the Fiji Sports Council who together with the Fiji Rugby Union and the Fiji Football Association agreed to give space for both sports to be played at the same ground that particular Saturday.
“I am now seeking a full explanation from the Minister responsible,” the Prime Minister said. “Last Saturday, we made history, it was a proud day for Fiji but one that was unfortunately let down by the poor condition of the pitch at the HFC Bank Stadium. “As your Prime Minister, I was deeply disappointed. “The surface was clearly not fit for an international match. Soft patches, uneven footing, and visible signs of damage were evident throughout the game. That is simply not good enough.
“To add to the concern just hours later, workers were seen preparing the same pitch for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup playoffs the next day. “This kind of overloaded scheduling with no time for proper recovery not only puts athletes at risk but undermines the quality of our international events.
“We must do better for our players, our fans, and our reputation on the world stage. “This is not an issue we can ignore or brush aside,” he stated.
Minister for Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru revealed in parliament yesterday that despite Fiji’s growing success in sports and its high returns on investment, infrastructure development is still lagging.
He also admitted that the Sports Council is struggling to keep the facilities well maintained.
“The Fiji Sports Council struggles to maintain facilities to international standards and to build new sports facilities – limiting our ability to host major events,” Saukuru said.
In the 2025-2026 national budget, the Ministry of Youth and Sports was allocated $23.3m, 72 per cent of that is directed to the sporting sector. The budget also entailed that $670,000 was given to the Sports Council and $978,216 was allocated for the construction of hard courts.
Nothing was mentioned specifically for the upgrade of other major sporting facilities in the country.
