Fiji Rugby has just lodged its application for a 60-acre block of land on Saweni Beach Road where they will build an international stadium, an entertainment and shopping hub, a Fiji Rugby-branded hotel, a high-performance training facility, and the Fiji Rugby Museum — a place where their proud history, passionate supporters, and future champions will come together.
Chairman John Sanday says that with the lodging of their application, they take the first step toward building a permanent home for the game in Fiji.
Sanday says this is a major step forward for Fiji Rugby in its 113-year history; they will have their own home ground.
He says the last time Fiji Rugby purchased property was in the 1980s under the leadership of former chairman, the late Barrie Sweetman, the union secured the Fiji Rugby Union building on Gordon Street — still Fiji Rugby’s only property today.
Sanday says the crucial deposit came from the gate takings of a historic match between the Flying Fijians and the New Zealand All Blacks, with around $10,000 raised from that match and support from their bank to borrow the remaining funds, Fiji Rugby purchased the Gordon Street property for approximately $110,000 — a bold and visionary step that secured a permanent home for the union.
He says today, they stand on the shoulders of that faith and foresight.
The Chairman says what began with one building now grows toward something even greater — a true home for the future of rugby in Fiji.
He says just as the late Barrie Sweetman once did, they will use the profits from their Nations Cup home games in the UK this July to help secure this vital block of land.
Sanday says to the parents, loyal fans, players, and their stakeholders — this is their project.
He says together, they are not just building structures, they are building a legacy and elevating Fiji Rugby onto the world stage.
The Chairman says this moment is about belief, legacy, and the generations of Fijians who will one day walk through these gates and proudly call it home.
He adds the future is here — and it is wearing white and black.
