23 Aug 2011

NZ 'satisfied' Fji player has left military

3:54 pm on 23 August 2011

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is satisfied the resignation of a rugby player from the Fiji military is permanent.

Leone Nakarawa has been given a visa to come to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup in a temporary exemption to the Government's travel ban on members of the Fiji military.

The exemption was granted on the basis that Nakarawa has resigned from the military, but the Green Party has questioned whether he will re-join after the tournament.

Mr McCully does not believe that will happen. He says no other temporary exemptions have been granted for the Fijian team.

Mr McCully says he has made inquiries and is satisfied there is not a significant risk of the player slipping back into the military.

He says the New Zealand Government wants to provide incentives for people in Fiji to part company with the military and the regime.

Prime Minister John Key has said he understands Nakarawa has had offers from international clubs to play for them after the World Cup.