Mataiasi Stark 
Source: Ba Rugby Union
Late fixture changes by Fiji Rugby Union have forced Ba to abandon plans to host any more Skipper Cup matches at the newly refurbished 4R Govind Park this season.
Ba Rugby Union Secretary Gaby Kautoga confirmed that the union had secured bookings for the stadium as early as January, but revised dates for Rounds 4 to 9 left them clashing with existing commitments.
“We like to be organised, so last January we booked Govind Park for our five Skipper Cup fixtures. But in July, the FRU sent us different dates, and by then other groups had already booked the ground.”
Ba Rugby Union Secretary Gaby Kautoga [file photo]
The problem was compounded when Ba’s October 4 match against Vatukoula, the only viable date left, was blocked by Ba Town Council to protect the turf ahead of the IDC soccer tournament.
“This has been a very frustrating period for Ba Rugby. After the success of the Suva game when 4,000 fans came to support us, we had been looking forward to hosting more rugby at the stadium.”
As a result, Lautoka will now be hosted at Vinod Patel Park on 20 September, while the Vatukoula and Naitasiri fixtures will be shifted to Tavua’s Garvey Park.
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