Fiji Rugby says the withdrawal of a player from the national sevens team, over eligibility concerns, highlights the need for a global database.
Emori Waqavulagi was removed from the Fiji squad this week after it was revealed he had already played for Sri Lanka at sevens and fifteens level.
Emori Waqavulagi was originally named in the Fiji sevens team to compete in Dubai before being withdrawn. Photo: Supplied
The Fiji Rugby Union has sought an urgent ruling from the World Rugby Regulations Committee on his eligibility but that will not be determined before the Dubai event.
The Fiji Rugby Union CEO Radrodro Tabualevu says Waqavulagi did not initially tell them about his history and is apologetic.
"Certainly was a hiccup because I think we were looking for Emori to be one of our key team members. We are now waiting clarification from World Rugby. If anything, from our standpoint, it perhaps heightens or presents again the need for a global database on player movements. For Fiji we've been working on a database and it's near completion now but that is effectively just for our players here. We check them when they leave our shores but what they do when they're out of our country is something that we have no control over at the moment".
Radrodro Tabualevu says a replacement player will be named shortly and will link up with the squad at a later date.
