30 Apr 2011

Fiji Rugby Union to elect a new body at AGM

8:33 am on 30 April 2011

After a series of false starts the Fiji Rugby Union will finally elect a new board at today's Annual General Meeting in Sigatoka.

A new chairman will also be elected, after the interim chair, Rafaele Kasibulu said he would not seek re-election.

Vinnie Wylie compiled this report.

In January, the interim government threatened to withhold one-point-six million US dollars in funding unless the board resigned over a lottery sales scandal.

Then in February a proposed Special General Meeting to rush through a new board was aborted when the IRB brokered an agreement between the rugby union and the interim government.

The outgoing chair, Rafaele Kasibulu, says a number of nominations have been received for the four contestable places on the board.

"There are about over twelve names there - four to be elected from those twelve names - plus one from the accounting fraternity, and from the legal, and one will be Prime Minister's nominee."

Rafaele Kasibulu says the 1-point-6 million dollars pledged by the interim government is conditional on the result of today's elections.