New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr officiated the rolling out of the carpet grass for the new artificial international turf at Uprising in Navua.

The artificial turf is World Rugby approved and a FIFA standard facility.

Curr says this will boost Sports tourism in the country.

“It’s a billion dollar two-way trading relationship between Fiji and New Zealand. This is a really good example of the new value and new technology that gets added to and hopefully expands that trading relationship even further.”

Uprising resort owner, Rene Munch says the facility will greatly help the development of sports in its community.

Munch says he hopes to revive his Kaji rugby club once the installation of the turf is complete.

“So with this field, we can use it more than a hundred hours a week without any damage whatsoever. We can have a sevens tournament ten days long and the next morning they can walk on to that field again and it’s perfect. So we want to support them in that way but also have the development of youth and sports.”

The facility is the first of its kind in the Pacific and is expected to be opened soon.