Fiji Rugby Referees educator and coach Kuini Vuli

Fiji Rugby Referees educator and coach Kuini Vuli has been nominated by the Suva Rugby Referees Association for the Outstanding Contribution to Refereeing Award ahead of the inaugural Referees Awards Night in Suva next month.

The Association says Vuli has made an exceptional contribution to the development of refereeing in Fiji.

Vuli holds a Match Officiating Level 3 qualification and has officiated at local, regional, and international levels.

As an educator, she has helped raise the profile of women referees through workshops and courses nationwide.

The SRFA believes her dedication and leadership led to her appointment as Fiji Rugby’s Women’s Development Manager, a role through which she continues to inspire future generations.

Vuli became the second Fijian woman, after Elenoa Kunatuba, to officiate top-class matches when she began a ground-breaking journey in 2009 that took her to tournaments in places as far-flung as Moscow and Dubai.

Over the years, she has featured in some of the sport’s most prestigious international tournaments.

She remains hopeful that more Fijian women will follow in her footsteps and achieve even greater success.

In 2012, Vuli officiated at the opening tournament of the inaugural World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Dubai before taking charge at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow the following year.

She continued to referee across the Oceania region before taking a break in 2016 after being diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.

Following her recovery, Vuli returned to the field, resuming duties in both sevens and 15s.

For the past few years, her focus has shifted to developing the next generation of match officials through her role as a referee educator with the Fiji Rugby Union.

The first-ever Fiji Rugby Referees Association Awards Night will be held on the 20th of next month in Suva.

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