Vaccinate Fiji message remains paramount, Fiji Rugby says and intends to discuss the issue with the Flying Fijians ahead of their second Test after the side opted for a clean jersey, in their first showing against the All Blacks last night, out of respect for some players who expressed concerns about having the message on their playing jerseys.
The Flying Fijians lost 23-57 to the hosts in their first Test in Dunedin last night, but the general consensus including from the All Blacks camp was that they tested the hosts and the scoreline did little to reflect the action on the park, including their two lineout mauls tries – the second a penalty try – which rugby pundits say has only happened twice before to the ABs.
FRU CEO John O’Connor said that the main focus this week was on the team putting up a respectable performance.
“We are disappointed that we were not able to honour the wishes of our sponsors but some of the players had expressed concern about having the Vaccinate Fiji message on the playing jerseys, and in order to accommodate those concerns and not compromise our focus on a respectable performance, we decided to play with clean jerseys,” O’Connor said.
The Vaccinate Fiji message, he said, was still prominent on LED signs during the match.
“We will discuss those concerns in coming days with the playing group and with Fiji Airways, and decide how best to promote the Vaccinate Fiji message in next week’s Test match. We are proud of the performance of the team and expect a better feat in Hamilton next week.”
Photo: Fiji Rugby
