All participating schools were provided with a clear set of rules and regulations before the season began, according to Fiji Secondary School Rugby Union vice-president Savenaca Muamua. Muamua stated that the terms of participation were clearly communicated and distributed to all schools.
“The laws and rules have been in place for the last decade with no changes,” he said. He also mentioned that the terms of participation align with the laws of the Fiji Rugby Union and World Rugby. “There’s no excuse for breaching rules.”
Muamua’s comments followed the disqualification of the Bucalevu Secondary School under-17 team for including an unregistered player, a decision that has stirred controversy. He compared the situation to a player from Suva playing for the Lautoka team, which would also be a breach of regulations.
“This incident serves as a reminder to all teams about the necessity of proper registration and adherence to the competition’s guidelines,” Muamua emphasized. He added that Bucalevu Secondary School had not paid the fee required to appeal the decision, indicating their acceptance of it.
Nabua Secondary School has now taken Bucalevu’s position in the U17 Deans national quarter-finals.