Suva Rugby Union secretary Nemani Tuifagalele

The Suva Rugby Union is again raising the issue of what it claims as probable breach of the Fiji Immigration Act by Fiji Rugby Union over the past years in appointing expatriate coaches against local under-study coaches.

SRU secretary Nemani Tuifagalele emailed the FRU and copied the Office of the Attorney General who appointed the current trustees of FRU pursuant to the Charitable Trust Act.

Tuifagalele believes it’s an immigration policy to approve an expatriate work permit to fill a local work position provided the local employer gets a local to under-study the expat during the work permit tenure period.

He further states that at the expiry of the expat contract, within one or two cycles of the work permit, a local incumbent can be appointed to that office forthwith.

The SRU secretary says FRU will have to come under the Fiji Immigration spotlight if it continues to hire expats to fill in positions that should have been held by locals.

Current Flying Fijians acting coach Senirusi Seruvakula was an understudy to John McKee and Vern Cotter.

Suva believes at the end of McKee and Cotter’s contracts, Seruvakula should’ve been the next head coach, however, Simon Raiwalui was given the position. The SRU notified the then FRU CEO about it and its probable breach of the Immigration Act.

FBC Sports is still awaiting responses to our questions that were sent to FRU Administrator Simione Valenitabua and Attorney General Siromi Turaga.

The new Flying Fijians head coach is expected to be named this month.