Transcript
GARETH BABER: I don't think we can deny that there's going to be interest for those sorts of quality players around the world, be it in Australia or be it the northern hemisphere. The reality at the moment is that two of them have been offered contracts and the third one will be as well. That's what we're trying to do here is provide security, in terms of contracts here in Fiji. There's a reality always that anybody can come in and look at poaching players if they want to do that but we want them here, we want them to play for Fiji. They're proud Fiji players, they've won Olympic golds and the reality is that we need that sort of quality moving forward...to stabilise performance and deliver performance but also to help the younger players learn what it means to be on the HSBC Series and what levels they have to play at. I can't do a lot about what happens around the world and we can't do much about that as the Fiji Rugby Union - it's the same with all sports. The reality is that we're trying to do our best to put things together for the players, which provide the players and themselves families security and an avenue by which they can focus and concentrate on the sport they love and they're the best at in the world. That's what we're trying to do here - what happens outside, externally, I can't do much about so all I can look after is the players here.
VINNIE WYLIE: When you say contracts have been offered to two and the third one will be offered a contract, you mean by Fiji Rugby Union?
GB: Yes.
VW: Does that mean if some contracts are being offered that all of the players that you so wish to offer a contract will be in line for an offer at some point in the near future?
GB: Yes. We've staged the contracts in terms of we've been given a sight initially to the boys who went and represented Fiji in Wellington and Sydney. We're looking at obviously contracting more now, coming into the next two legs so hopefully in the next few weeks we'll be in a position to say that we've got the squad contracted for the HSBC Series the rest of the year.
VW: Have any signed on the dotted line yet?
GB: No.
VW: So the Wellington and Sydney players have contracts in front of them?
GB: There's basically the players we've handed the contracts [are] having the chance to look over them and review them. They then have obviously had conversations with the Fiji Rugby Union, in relation to those contracts, and we're hopeful that we will get some sort of resolution on that in the near future.
VW: When those players do sign contracts that would mean that, for the length of that contract, they wouldn't then be able to be poached, so to speak, by an NRL club, by an overseas rugby club?
GB: I can't say what a club would want to do to break somebody's contract - I mean you do hear of it - you're in football and different sports all the time - but no, they would be under contract here at the Fiji Rugby Union.
VW: I guess there would be some hope, some optimism that a number of those would be signed and confirmed prior to Vegas?
GB: Yes, yeah.
