11 Jan 2011

Fiji Rugby Union to meet this afternoon

11:17 am on 11 January 2011

The board of the Fiji Rugby Union will meet this afternoon after the interim government called for its resignation and asked for a new administration to be put into place.

This follows findings by the Commerce Commission that the union misused funds from its lottery tickets sales.

The Sports Minister, Filipe Bole, says the interim government is willing to provide funds to assist Fiji's Rugby World Cup campaign, but only if the Fiji Rugby Union Board and executives resign from their positions.

"What we're telling the Fiji Rugby Union is that, look, we've got this report from the Commerce Commission. There is this position that the government has given you - that the government can give you three million but that is on the condition that the management of the FRU changes. That is because of the mess they created in the lottery."

Filipe Bole says it's now up to the Fiji Rugby Union to respond to the interim government's offer.

The FRU board is scheduled to meet at one o'clock this afternoon.