Fijians deny S.A. offer

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 27

Fijians deny S.A. offer

NZPA-AAP Suva The Fiji Rugby Union (F.R.U.) yesterday denied a local news media report it had been offered $F100,600 ($110,980) as a gift by a visiting executive member of the South African Rugby Board (5.A.R.8.) this week.

The “Fiji Times” quoted the Natal Rugby Union president, Nic Labuschagne, as saying identical offers had been made to rugby union bodies around the world to promote the sport as part of S.A.R.B.’s hundredth anniversary celebrations this year.

Dr Labuschagne also said the South African Springboks were also willing to play a series in Fiji 'if invited by the F.R.U.

When asked to comment, the F.R.U. secretary, Setareki Tuinaceva, confirmed he had met Dr Labuschagne during his three-day visit to Fiji this week.

But he denied having discussed money being donated from South Africa.

"We talked in very general terms about the sport,” Mr Tuinaceva said. “Nothing was said about any $F120,000.”

When asked if the F.R.U. would have taken such an offer if it had been made, he said: “I doubt it.”