Rabuka demands answers over poor HFC Bank Stadium pitch

Following the Fiji Water Flying Fijians match, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the surface at the HFC Bank Stadium was clearly not fit for an international match and he is now seeking a full explanation from the Minister responsible.

In a facebook post, Rabuka says last Saturday, we made history by hosting Scotland in our first-ever home test as a tier-one rugby nation.

Rabuka says it was a proud day for Fiji but one that was unfortunately let down by the poor condition of the pitch at the HFC Bank Stadium.

He says as the Prime Minister, he was deeply disappointed.

Rabuka says soft patches, uneven footing, and visible signs of damage were evident throughout the game and that is simply not good enough.

He says workers were seen preparing the same pitch for the OFC Women’s Nations Cup playoffs the next day.

The Prime Minister says this kind of overloaded scheduling with no time for proper recovery not only puts athletes at risk but undermines the quality of our international events.

Rabuka says they must do better for the players, fans, and Fiji’s reputation on the world stage and this is not an issue they can ignore or brush aside.