Rugby

Fiji 7s refutes social media claims

July 20, 2022 3:17 pm

[File Photo]

The Fiji 7s management is disappointed with a social media post claiming our players’ welfare have been compromised.

In a video posted two days ago showed our players ready to have biscuits and noodles with the individual who posted the content claiming the side didn’t have lunch prepared for them after the church service on Sunday.

After the Fiji Rugby Union was made aware of the video that’s been shared over 700 times, FRU Chief Executive John O’Connor had to contact Fiji 7s Head Coach Ben Gollings about the claims.

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O’Connor says Gollings reassured him the claims are not true.

The FRU CEO also says over the years players normally take some snacks or even biscuits from Fiji when they go for overseas assignments.

“Discussions with coach reveal that the claims are not true, usually, as with all Fijian teams players usually take biscuits and noodles and Coach refuted the claims that they didn’t have a good lunch, everything is prepared for the team and that’s the reassurance from the team and not from me.”

O’Connor adds the team is camping at a high-performance school environment and they’re not being taken care of by the Gollings family.

He adds they’re quite disappointed with the post and the implications they were not well looked after.

“We’ve paid the school to look after the team, we paid for their meals and everything that’s been paid for to the school management, we had made all the payments upfront before the teams departed.”

There were also claims of the Fiji 7s side without a Strength and Conditioning Coach which are not true as trainer Etu Tusitala is with the side.

The FRU has been assured by Gollings that the players are well and remain focused on winning Fiji’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham, England.

The national side will move into the Games village on Friday.

Fiji is pooled with Zambia, Wales, Canada and the 7s competition starts next Friday.