ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
Bill Gavoka has quit as Fiji Rugby Union chairman.
Gavoka stepped down late yesterday to allow the union to enter negotiations with Fiji’s military government over funding issues involving a lottery to raise funds for the country’s participation in the year’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand.
He has been replaced by Rafaele Kasibulu , the FRU said in a statement.
Kasibulu will enter negotiations with the government after Fijian Sports Minister Filipe Bole said he was concerned at official findings the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) mismanaged a fundraising lottery and would withhold $3 million (NZ$2.10 million) in grants until those responsible departed.
"The provision of funding is conditional upon the change of FRU administration and the formation of a new FRU board," Bole said.
He said the FRU needed to implement change at the top to ensure the national rugby team received adequate resources to prepare for the World Cup.
"Of course those at the centre of this debacle and mismanagement can resign themselves to quickly put in place a new administration to ensure our boys have enough time to prepare," he said.
Bole said the government, which seized power in a bloodless 2006 coup, had informed the International Rugby Board of its stance.
The row centres on a lottery the FRU drew in late December, which Fiji's Commerce Commission found had been improperly run.
The commission found more than $155,000 of the $350,000 raised through the lottery was missing and funds had been used for improper purposes, including sending an FRU official to the Hong Kong Sevens in March last year.
In a report released Tuesday, it recommended criminal prosecutions against those responsible for misusing the money, a redraw of the lottery and said it would seek to impose fines totalling F$125,000.
In an earlier statement, Gavoka denied any wrongdoing and accused the Commerce Commission of acting "unlawfully and with little regard to anything except self-promotion".
Bill Gavoka has quit as Fiji Rugby Union chairman.
Gavoka stepped down late yesterday to allow the union to enter negotiations with Fiji’s military government over funding issues involving a lottery to raise funds for the country’s participation in the year’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand.
...
Bill Gavoka has quit as Fiji Rugby Union chairman.
Gavoka stepped down late yesterday to allow the union to enter negotiations with Fiji’s military government over funding issues involving a lottery to raise funds for the country’s participation in the year’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand.
He has been replaced by Rafaele Kasibulu , the FRU said in a statement.
Kasibulu will enter negotiations with the government after Fijian Sports Minister Filipe Bole said he was concerned at official findings the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) mismanaged a fundraising lottery and would withhold $3 million (NZ$2.10 million) in grants until those responsible departed.
"The provision of funding is conditional upon the change of FRU administration and the formation of a new FRU board," Bole said.
He said the FRU needed to implement change at the top to ensure the national rugby team received adequate resources to prepare for the World Cup.
"Of course those at the centre of this debacle and mismanagement can resign themselves to quickly put in place a new administration to ensure our boys have enough time to prepare," he said.
Bole said the government, which seized power in a bloodless 2006 coup, had informed the International Rugby Board of its stance.
The row centres on a lottery the FRU drew in late December, which Fiji's Commerce Commission found had been improperly run.
The commission found more than $155,000 of the $350,000 raised through the lottery was missing and funds had been used for improper purposes, including sending an FRU official to the Hong Kong Sevens in March last year.
In a report released Tuesday, it recommended criminal prosecutions against those responsible for misusing the money, a redraw of the lottery and said it would seek to impose fines totalling F$125,000.
In an earlier statement, Gavoka denied any wrongdoing and accused the Commerce Commission of acting "unlawfully and with little regard to anything except self-promotion".
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