THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS
Lt. Col. LAISENIA TUITUBOU

• Honorable Ministers
• Permanent Secretaries and senior Government representatives
• Members of the diplomatic corps
• Members of the Oceania Rugby
• Members of the Fiji Rugby Union
• Dignitaries
• Invited Guests

Bula vinaka, Namaste, Salaam aleikum and a very good evening to you all!

It is a great privilege and honor to be here among you all this evening on the eve of Oceania Sevens Championships. I am delighted to welcome the participating teams, officials and guests that have come to Fiji to witness a great weekend of 7s rugby.

The Government of Fiji is delighted yet again to host another premier international sporting event: the Oceania 7s Championships in the lead up to the next exciting start of the HSBC World 7s Series which kicks off in Dubai next month. As our Prime Minister, the Honorable Voreqe Bainimarama, has reiterated many times and I quote “In some countries, 7s is a sport; in Fiji, it’s a way of life.” In our towns, villages, settlements, and cities; in our schools, parks, on our beaches, 7s is simply part of the fabric of our society, part of who we are as a nation. Hence, the commitment made by the Fijian Government to secure the event for the next three years.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Oceania Rugby for your commitment, dedication and the work done behind the scenes in making this event happen. No doubt, it will be successful. You have continued to provide assistance and support in representing the interests of your member and associate member countries to promote rugby in Oceania. It is pleasing to note that Oceania Rugby has partnered with UN Women, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding, giving priority in grooming and empowering women teams to participate in rugby competitions. It is our strong belief as an island nation and that of my Ministry that access to sports and sporting activities must not be defined by gender. Recently, we have seen women continuously making positive inroads in sports and we have also seen people living with disability successfully being able to take part in sporting activities. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a great achievement for our Oceanic countries showing that the Pacific is in Union and is working towards a common goal to ensure all have access to sports and further encouraging equal participation at major sporting events.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the Oceania teams that continue to draw attraction and wow the crowd with their natural physicality and phenomenal skills during various HSBC 7s events. Oceania rugby players do not only give outstanding performances on the field but are inspirational individuals to many aspiring young sporting individuals off the field. We showcase our gracious nature during defeat and our humble nature during our triumphs. Although we are distant from each other we must not forget that we are connected by the Pacific Ocean and represent the people of Oceania in all sporting and global events.

With open arms, we welcome the New Zealand team back into the fold of Oceania Rugby 7s Championships. We share great experiences and camaraderie with each other both on and off the field. Your participation in the previous tournaments had been greatly missed. You will find great support from among the crowd – I only hope it is second to the support for our Fijian male and female gladiators.

To the respective teams, I wish you all the best for the tournament. Play hard but fair at the same time. The event will be covered locally and internationally, although delayed locally and I call on all 7s supporters in Fiji to come out and see the top 7s teams in the world perform.

I would like to pay tribute to the sponsors who are supporting this event, to the volunteers who make it happen and to the spectators who will enjoy the show. Of course, I would also like to thank the teams in advance for what will be a spectacular show of skills and athletic performance. Thank you also for taking time out to go to some of our schools to inspire our young people. I hope that they absorb your messages of teamwork, fair play and discipline.

With those words, I wish you all the best and a great evening.

Vinaka, Dhanyavaad, Shokran and thank you all.