Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley responded to FBC Sports, clarifying that the Fijian Drua were approved pre-season to perform the 'iBole' cultural challenge at home games.

Questions have been raised by many Fijians over why the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua were unable to perform their traditional ‘iBole’ cultural challenge before kickoff in their historic Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific clash in Ba, where they hosted and defeated the Brumbies for the first time.

Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley responded to FBC Sports, clarifying that the Fijian Drua were approved pre-season to perform the ‘iBole’ cultural challenge at home games.

However, the approval came with the directive that if the Heat Stress Index (HSI) reached the Very High category or above on match day, limiting player exposure to heat would be critical.

Mesley says the organisation recognises the ‘iBole’ is an important cultural tradition for the team and their fans, and it is something they want to support as much as possible.

However, he says when heat protocols are triggered under World Rugby player welfare guidelines, the priority must be the health and safety of players and match officials.

Mesley adds that while players will still compete for 80 minutes, the Super Rugby Pacific heat policy is designed to minimise additional time spent in extreme heat before kick-off and ensure the match can proceed safely with appropriate cooling measures in place.

In a social media post yesterday, the Drua said because they could not present the Vanua of Ba with their iBole, the players performed it in the changing room before running out to a sold-out crowd.

They also did not perform the ‘iBole’ in Round 1 of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific when they hosted Moana Pasifika in Lautoka.

Questions surrounding this have also been sent to the Drua, but the club has yet to comment.

The Drua return to Lautoka this Saturday to face the Reds at 3.30pm.

You can watch the LIVE action of this match on FBC Sports.

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