All Blacks and Fiji line up for national anthems in Dunedin. [Source: TVNZ]
New Zealand Rugby has confirmed to it will acknowledge the COVID-19 crisis in Fiji at this weekend’s Test match between the Flying Fijians and All Blacks in Hamilton.
Vaccination messages will be seen on signage and big screens and also delivered in the commentary of Saturday’s game.
It comes after multiple Fijian Leaders expressed their disappointment with both sides for failing to recognise the worsening situation in the island nation last week in Dunedin.
Krish Naidu, president of the Fiji Girmit Foundation of New Zealand says they were very disappointed last weekend as they didn’t see any signs of leadership from the New Zealand Rugby Union in terms of paying tribute to the people back home.
There was no moment of silence which Naidu says should have been done at the minimum.
A month out from the first test in Dunedin, the Fiji Girmit Foundation emailed New Zealand Rugby asking for 10 per cent of proceeds from ticket sales to go to Fiji’s COVID relief efforts.
TVNZ’s 1 NEWS reports that NZ Rugby replied saying it would pass on the request to the ticketing team but if they supported one country financially, they’d need to do it for all games.
NZR said the first email should have been passed further up the organisation but confirmed there will be clear Covid vaccination messaging this weekend across all LED signage, on the field and the big screens.
