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Fiji's Attorney-General adds to mounting pressure on Ben Gollings
By Chris Jones
Fiji’s Attorney-General Siromi Turaga has added his voice to the growing concerns over the performance of the national 7s men’s team in the HSBC World SVNS Series under Ben Gollings, the head coach.
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Gollings has failed to win a tournament since replacing Gareth Baber, who guided Fiji to a second successive Olympic Games gold medal in Japan following their Rio triumph under Ben Ryan. Fiji will defend their gold at the Paris Olympics this summer.
The Attorney-General’s input follows Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka giving the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) an ultimatum to call a meeting to address the performances of the 7s team.
“We love our rugby. They’re not performing well, especially sevens,” A-G Turaga told The Fiji Times.
“They feel the anger of the nation. I will inquire within the board. There are issues which I do not want to divulge now but things are becoming clear.”
The FRU trustees will meet with coaches and team officials of the men’s and women’s national 7s teams on Thursday although the meeting is being billed as a “normal” debrief after a round of the SVNS.
The two sevens teams have returned from participating at the Los Angeles SVNS tournament where the men’s team finished sixth and the women’s side 11th.
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“As part of the normal procedure, both programs will be reviewed in detail following the conclusion of the Vancouver/LA leg of the series, and any opportunities for improvement will be identified and implemented,” stated FRU in a statement.
“The FRU stands by the teams and will fully support them with resources needed for the teams’ mission of standing on this year’s Olympic Games podium to receive medals. We call for the support of our fans and stakeholders, as we are confident that our teams will rise to the occasion and showcase the true spirit of Fijian rugby on the world stage.”
