The International Rugby Board is indicating unspoken support for Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is free to go to New Zealand to support Fiji in the Rugby World Cup.

IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller said there are no issues with Fiji at the moment and they will be dealt with if or when they arise.

The NZ Herald reports that Miller added that we should not “create a drama which doesn't exist”.

The NZ government has placed travel sanctions against members of the military and anyone connected to them since 2006.

This has resulted in a number of rugby players with military connections not allowed to enter NZ to play in tournaments including the IRB sanctioned Wellington 7s.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said the bans could be relaxed in time for the World Cup if Fiji showed real progress towards elections.

The Fiji government has made it clear that it has set its roadmap to democracy and elections will be held in 2014 after the electoral, social and economic reforms.

When asked by NZ Herald whether he wanted to see Commodore Bainimarama at the event, IRB CEO Mike Miller thinks that anyone who wants to go to the Rugby World Cup should go and it is not up to the IRB to decide who can go and support their team.

He said they have had good discussions with the Fijian Government on all levels and does not foresee any problems and does not see the need to discuss the matter with the New Zealand Government at the moment.
 
Commodore Bainimarama had earlier told Fijivillage that he is not desperate to go to NZ because he does not like NZ.

The Rugby World Cup kicks off in New Zealand on September 9.


Story by: Selina Navuso and Vijay Narayan