13 Jan 2011

Fiji's Bole insists outgoing FRU Board quit without pressure

6:27 am on 13 January 2011

Fiji's interim Sports Minister insists no pressure was applied on the outgoing Rugby Union Board members, who've agreed to be replaced just a day after he called for their resignations.

The move against them came after the Commerce Commission said the union misused funds from its lottery tickets sales.

Felipe Bole says he will meet the FRU's interim chairman, Rafaele Kasibulu, and current Chief Executive Keni Dakuidreketi today to establish where things are at and discuss the Flying Fijians World Cup preparations.

He says they will also agree a date for the election of a new board, but insists the outgoing administration went willingly.

"The whole board has agreed, you know, that they will all step down and that, you know, a new board will be elected in the AGM, the Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting, SGM. The agreement's already been made, I mean they decided themselves without any pressure from anybody."

Felipe Bole says the interim government is committed to fulfilling its pledge to give the FRU up to 1.6 million US dollars towards Fiji's Rugby World Cup campaign.