Mataiasi Stark 
FSSRU president Jone Kanalagi [Photo: Supplied]
The Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union is exploring the introduction of an Indo-Fijian rugby competition at the high school level.
According to Fiji Rugby, many Indo-Fijian rugby players in the past prefer playing amongst themselves due to safety concerns, and a separate competition would provide a safer and more comfortable environment for participation.
FSSRU president Jone Kanalagi says this proposal will be considered alongside plans to expand the Raluve competition by introducing an Under-14 grade for girls.
“I heard the request for an Indo-Fijian rugby team. We’ll look into that, if that can be accommodated, because there are a lot of Indian-dominated schools in the urban centers close to where we have our games.”
Kanalagi adds that while the focus has long been on rural schools, Indo-Fijian and younger girls’ participation could help widen the base of rugby development.
“So if we can target our Indo-Fijian and Raluve Under-14, that will definitely engage more students and more schools in our competition from next year on.”
The move is seen as a major step toward making rugby more inclusive at the secondary school level.
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