Fiji’s Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro, has directed the Fiji Secondary School Rugby Union (FSSRU) to allow Bucalevu Secondary School’s Under-17 team to compete in the Vodafone Deans national quarter-finals scheduled for this weekend.
Bucalevu, a Taveuni-based school, was disqualified after Nabua Secondary School filed a complaint within 48 hours of their playoff match loss to Bucalevu at Subrail Park, Labasa, on July 27. Despite Bucalevu narrowly defeating Nabua with a score of 21-20 to secure a place in the quarter-finals, FSSRU later ruled them out due to allegations that a player had participated in both the U16 and U17 teams.
With Bucalevu’s disqualification, Nabua is set to face Ratu Kadavulevu School at 11 am on Saturday. Meanwhile, last year’s U17 champion, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial School, has failed to qualify for this year’s event.
According to section 10 of the FSSRU Terms of Participation, players are not allowed to represent different teams from the same school within the same season. The responsibility for ensuring compliance with team composition lies with the managers, while FSSRU officials are expected to verify player details before matches to spot any inconsistencies. Players’ information, along with their passport photos, must be submitted at the beginning of the season for verification.
Minister Radrodro emphasized that Bucalevu’s victory was legitimate and stated, “I confirm the directive, stating that Bucalevu won their game fairly and deserves to participate in the competition.” He instructed the Permanent Secretary to communicate with FSSRU executives to uphold the results of the match.
When contacted for further comment, FSSRU president Jone Kanalagi was attending a meeting with the Permanent Secretary and could not respond immediately. Efforts to reach the Permanent Secretary, Selina Kuruleca, for comment yielded no response.