RLWC host
Pravin Narain
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
FIJI'S chances of hosting two Rugby League World Cup matches next year remains uncertain because of lack of documentation submitted to the Fiji National Sports Commission.
This after Fiji National Rugby League did not submit the audited report to the Fiji National Sports Commission. It was part of the requirement in order for the Government to make a commitment of $4 million to bring two matches to Fiji.
However, Fiji National Sports Commission chairman Peter Mazey said Fiji National Rugby League did not provid them with further documents.
"FNRL have been requested to provide further documentation to Government and the sports commission to enable their request to be considered," he said.
"As at this time the information required has not been submitted."
The FNRL chief executive officer Timoci Naleba said they were yet to submit the detailed audited report.
"The commission is right in saying that we need to submit more documentation to them," he said.
"We have a process to follow the audit process which was confirmed in our annual general meeting.
"I know the criteria which the Government is following but we have asked them to support the bid and we'll submit the documents later. The audit process is still going on and we should be able to submit the documents by first week of April."
Naleba said they had received positive feed back from Australia and they should know the outcome in the next few days..
"To host a match in Fiji it is $2 million dollars per game and the total number of games is two so the total amount would come to $4 million. We have received feedback from people in Australia who had access to the bid papers," he said.
"They are very happy with the proposal and they are also impressed with the proposal. They support and hope the committee would consider it favourably.
In December last year FNRL received a letter from the RLWC committee CEO Michael Brown expressing their interest to consider Fiji as one of the co-hosts for the 2017 event.
"We have paid the balance to the Fiji Sports Commission from the 2013 accounts and updated on the FNPF (Fiji National Provident Fund) payment," he added.
The RLWC will be played from October 26 to December 2 in 2017.
