Sir Bill and Laporte have remained vocal at the WR Council for Fiji's recognition as a Tier 1 rugby playing nation – FRU Board

The Fiji Rugby Union says the decision to support Sir Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte to lead World Rugby was a strategic one by the FRU Board that was birthed and nurtured prior to and since Fiji’s ascension to the World Rugby Council.

FRU CEO, John O’Connor says the win by Sir Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte augers well for Fiji Rugby.

In their congratulatory message after Sir Bill’s re-election to be the Chairman of the World Rugby for the next 4 years as announced by the independent body overseeing the elections, PIC Switzerland, the FRU Board says we must all remember that Sir Bill was the first World Rugby Council Chairman with his Executive Committee to ever visit our shores in 2015.

The FRU Board says this visit to Fiji to listen to the Samoa, Tonga and the FRU leadership was the genesis of enhanced relationship between World Rugby and the three dominant Pacific Island rugby playing nations.

It says Sir Bill also played a very instrumental role in the Drua's participation in the NRC with relevant World Rugby funding support.

The FRU says Sir Bill understands the need for pathway competitions for our rugby players and has been a stalwart of our participation in this competition.

It says he understands the commercial handicaps that Fiji faces due to our geographical location and television viewership volume.

FRU says it also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the France Federation of Rugby which was initiated by the current Board considering that a good majority of about 300 of our players plying their trade abroad, play in the French leagues.

The Board says this MOU has worked well for both Unions and has strengthened our partnership leading into the 2023 Rugby World Cup. They have also commended all their off the field assistance rendered to players in France.

FRU with French Rugby will also be pushing strongly for the recognition of one of the former national representatives currently residing in France to be our local representative and spokesperson for rugby players playing in France.

The national rugby union will also work with another former national rep in the UK to undertake a similar role.

It says this strategy eases the means of communications and provides a better understanding on welfare issues and other matters relating to their contacts which some of our players encounter at times.