SUVA, ( FIJI TIMES) – The Vodafone Flying Fijians will fly the Fiji flag in the 2015 Rugby World Cup regardless of the financial problems FRU faces to send the team to England.
FRU has assured the nation the team will run onto the field in their first match at Twickenham in London next month.
Earlier, the rugby house needed about $5 million (US$2.3 million) to send a team to the RWC.
FRU chief executive officer Radrodro Tabualevu said they were looking forward for assistance from their partners and the Government.
“I am going back to the 2011 Rugby World Cup where the budget was about $3 million (US$1.3 million),” he said.
“Now after four years we are going to Great Britain where the pound sterling is lot more expensive to purchase.
“We have worked out a budget and we are resourcing our budget to make sure that our boys, when they run on the field on September 18 where 600 million people will be watching us, we are ready to go.”
Tabualevu did not divulge much information on the amount that is needed to send the team to the RWC.
“I am hesitant to talk about the budget because at times it is interpreted in wrong way. It is a budget so we have to look for it.
“Whenever there is a team we need a budget for recovery, food, airline and transportation,” Tabualevu added.
“Come game day we will be running out on the field with the all ready attitude to go.
“We are doing all that is necessary for the team.”
Meanwhile, he said New Zealand Rugby Union was happy with the standard of facilities at the ANZ Stadium in Suva which accommodated the match between Maori All Blacks and Fiji last month.
“The gate taking was good but it would have been better if there were more people to watch the game,” he said.
“But there are lot of things we learned from the game.
“We are confident that New Zealand sees us and our ability of hosting games.
“One of the good things is that they gave our stadium a big tick of approval.
“They were very impressed with the changing room, ground and how we ran the tournament.”
The team will march into camp on August 12 to prepare for the Rugby World Cup.
