Meli Laddpeter 
NRL Commissioner Peter Beattie says the Kaiviti Silktails Training Academy in Lautoka should serve as a model for rugby league development across Fiji and the wider Pacific.
The training academy is currently under construction at Ground Three of Churchill Park, and is named the “Bobby Naidu High Performance Gym” in honour of Australian-based Lautoka businessman and Silktails sponsor Bobby Naidu.
Beattie is currently in Fiji as part of a delegation from the NRL and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, touring the Silktails’ developing rugby league training precincts.
“The NRL has just signed a historic agreement with the Fiji Government to support rugby league for the next 10 years. We want you all to know that we are here to support the Silktails during this time and I look forward to seeing the future talent here in Fiji emerge from this program.”
After being presented with a Silktails jersey, Beattie addressed the club and spoke about the NRL’s long-term commitment to supporting the growth and development of rugby league in Fiji.
He said the Silktails’ training academy could provide a blueprint for similar rugby league facilities and development programmes across Fiji and the Pacific.
