FIJI Rugby Union chairman John Sanday has defended the Flying Fijians’ recent performances, saying supporters must understand the realities of competing regularly against the world’s top rugby nations.
Speaking on the team’s current campaign, Sanday said Fiji is now facing an entirely different level of competition compared to previous years.
“We must be clear. I was elected to run and turn FRU into a sustainable business, like any business, we operate in a very competitive business environment and we are taking FRU into Tier 1 where we stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest, strongest and well resourced rugby nations of the world,” Sanday said.
He noted that in the past, Fiji played mostly against Tier Two nations with only occasional fixtures against Tier One teams, but this year’s July and November international windows are entirely against elite opposition.
Sanday said countries in Europe enjoy major advantages, including players competing in domestic competitions and geographical proximity that allows teams to assemble more frequently.
“They also have the yearly Six Nations tournament which gives them a very big edge over us in terms of high-quality game time preparation.”
He said Fiji must first acknowledge these realities before expecting immediate success against the world’s leading rugby nations.
Despite the challenges, Sanday said FRU is exploring ways to provide the Flying Fijians with more time together and secure warm-up matches against quality opposition.
“We are looking at all ways possible to get more time together for the Flying Fijians and warm-up matches against high-quality sides.”
Sanday added that Fiji’s location in the South Pacific continues to present logistical and financial challenges in competing consistently against Tier One nations.
However, he remains focused on building Fiji Rugby into a sustainable organisation capable of standing “shoulder to shoulder with the biggest, strongest and well-resourced rugby nations of the world.”
