Ratu Navula College’s under-19 rugby team plans to raise its concerns with the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) following their narrow 10-13 defeat to Lami High School in the Vodafone Super Deans semi-final held at Bidesi Ground in Suva yesterday.
After the match, while Lami celebrated its victory, Ratu Navula engaged in a lengthy team discussion about the next steps. Head coach Viliame Bati revealed that prior to the match, representatives from Ratu Navula, Lami High, and the FSSRU met to address specific grievances.
During the dialogue, concerns were brought up regarding several players from Lami’s team, who were alleged to be non-students from Dominion Brothers and Fiji National University. The coach stated, “We had agreed yesterday (Friday) for the four boys not to play, but to our surprise, the president came and said that all these four boys are playing today.”
Bati expressed disappointment, mentioning that these players, who he claimed were not enrolled in school, participated in the game without the expected resolution to their grievances. He added that Ratu Navula’s players have worked hard throughout the season, and the situation undermined their effort and commitment.
“We want to play inside there because it is where they will get scouted. That was the toughest game that we have encountered. I just felt for my boys; we didn’t have a fair chance contest today,” Bati commented.
Lami High School did not provide any comments regarding the allegations and referred all inquiries to the FSSRU. This issue mirrors one raised last weekend by Ratu Kadavulevu School following the quarter-finals, which was addressed in a hearing on Wednesday that reportedly found no substantial evidence to support the claims, confirming that the players in question were indeed registered students of Lami High School.