Fiji Rugby Players Association Chairman, Ilivasi Tabua says his aim in setting up this Association is to empower our up-and-coming players, the development pathways on how best they could be looked after, and also that players have a better understanding of what they are getting themselves into and what is required of them.
While speaking on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan, Tabua, who played for Australia in the 1995 Rugby World Cup before playing for Fiji in 1999, says they were lucky because they had mentors and support systems in place to assist players in understanding what they were getting themselves into.
He says after playing in Australia and Japan, he saw so much difference when coming back to play for Fiji.
He adds rugby has moved on from being an amateur sport to a professional set up after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, but Fiji was still following in the amateur set up.
Tabua says rugby has given him a lot, from travelling the world to making lifetime memories.
When asked about what challenges he wishes players had protection or support for during his time, Tabua says he hopes that they were educated before making the decision on which rugby club to go to.
