The International Rugby Board has today said that it respects the right of each country to enforce their respective immigration policies after Fijivillage raised questions on Australia and New Zealand’s continuing travel sanction policy against Fiji rugby players who have links to the military.

IRB’s General Manager Oceania William Glenwright revealed that the Fiji Rugby Union has provided the IRB with a list of players in both 7s and Rugby World Cup squads that are currently affected by the travel bans imposed by the governments of Australia and NZ.

Glenwright said they are having ongoing dialogue with both countries on this matter, as part of broader discussions on matters pertaining to the hosting of IRB tournaments in each country.

However he said governments, as sovereign nations, naturally reserve the right to deny entry to any individual in accordance with their respective immigration policies.

This basically means that top choice 7s players like Dale Tonawai, Nikola Matawalu and Waqabaca Kotobalavu who are part of the first choice Fiji team will only play in Hong Kong this weekend and will not be allowed to enter Australia for the Adelaide tournament next week.

This also means that a weakened Fiji team will go to Australia based on the travel sanction policy.

We asked Glenwright about this issue and whether it falls in line with the IRB regulations.

We also asked whether the IRB has ever thought of moving the tournaments based on the ban that does not allow Fiji to send its first choice and full strength teams to the IRB sanctioned tournaments in Australia and NZ.

However a general response has been sent stating that IRB respects the right of each country to enforce their respective immigration policies.

But does this fall in line with the IRB Regulations?

IRB Regulation 9 states that International Rugby is a major public interest and it is in the best interests of the public that the best teams and players represent their unions.

It states that rugby bodies and clubs benefit if players play international rugby as it improves the quality and experience of players, increases their value and enhances commercial returns in respect of merchandising, broadcast, sponsorship and gates thereby contributing to the interest of the rugby body or club that the player represents.

The IRB regulation further states that the future development and extension of the sport at all levels and throughout the world would be threatened if a union was not able to select and have available the players it requires.

Glenwright has not made direct comments on this regulation, when asked by Fijivillage.

He also has made no direct comments in relation to questions raised on FIFA’s action when it called off the Fiji versus NZ match in NZ when the NZ government did not allow a Fiji goalkeeper Simione Tamanisau to enter the country.

Glenwright has not made any comments on whether any such action has ever been considered by the IRB.

Meanwhile Prime Minister, Commodore Bainimarama has said that if Fiji cannot send the best team to the Australia Sevens due to the travel sanctions, then we should not send any team to Adelaide.


Story by: Vijay Narayan