Ba Industries Limited (BIL) has this week signed a sponsorship agreement with the Ba Rugby Union, securing the naming rights for the Men’s Division of the new Ba Tikina Championships for three years.
Under this arrangement, the eight Tikina teams of Ba will compete for the Ba Industries Cup, bearing the slogan “Tough as Nails!”
BIL Chairman Vinod S Patel hailed the sponsorship as an important day in the 140-year long history of rugby in Ba.
“From today onwards, Ba will be known as a crazy, energetic, young rugby town,” Patel said.
He went on to draw a parallel, saying, “Just as the nails produced by Ba Industries are known for their toughness and strength, we expect the players from the Ba Rugby Union to exhibit similar resilience and fortitude as they become ‘Tough as Nails.’
“Now it is our responsibility to come together and cheer on with confidence the Ba Rugby team and create more players like Pio Tuwai, Gabirieli Naborisi, Joshua Tuisova, Waisea Nacuqu and of course the current head coach Vilimoni Delasau.”
Ba is the first place that rugby was played in Fiji, back in 1884.
Delasau responded by thanking BIL for backing Ba Rugby with this new tournament designed to lift the level of rugby in the province.
“We had this idea to start a tikina competition to bring in all the outer areas of the province and raise the rugby standards,” Delasau said.
“But without the courageous step by BIL to join our vision, it wouldn’t have happened.
“The standard of the opening matches on the weekend just blew us away. Now everyone is talking about the Ba Industries Cup.”
The second round of games is scheduled for this Saturday at Vinod Patel Park, kicking off at 9 am.
The four Ba Industries Cup games will be streamed live, with the link available on the “2023 Ba Rugby Union” Facebook page.
Photo Caption: Vilimoni Delasau and BRU Secretary Gaby Kautoga flanking BIL staff – Rohit Singh (Marketing Manager), Sanjay Badgujar (General Manager) and Manpreet Singh (Product Category Manager).
