The New Zealand Government has turned down a request by a member of the Fiji military to attend the Rugby World Cup.
Lieutenant Colonel Mosese Tikoitoga, who is also chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, farewelled the team on its departure on Monday morning still waiting to hear about his visa, Radio New Zealand International reports.
New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says the visa application was immediately declined when it was received last week under a ban on allowing Fiji regime members into New Zealand.
Mr McCully says another rugby official with links to the regime has also had his application refused.
"I regret that we haven't been able to see some movement on things in Fiji which would have enabled us to make more progress in the way in which we deal with these things, but the sanctions are there for a reason - and banned means banned."
The minister says the visa refusal should have been communicated to Colonel Tikoitoga before now.
Fiji are the first team to arrive in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup which begins in Auckland on 9 September.
