Regional rugby training week gets underway in Nadi

Nadi, Fiji, is hosting a significant week-long training program aimed at bolstering rugby development across the Pacific. Rugby stakeholders from Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga have converged for the CAP Rugby Training Week, which commenced Monday and runs until July 25.

The program brings together a diverse group of participants, including coaches, referees, club administrators, and federation representatives. Its core objective is to cultivate trainers capable of supporting coaches and match officials, while simultaneously improving the management of clubs and federations. Participants will engage in a blend of classroom sessions, practical workshops, and on-field training to hone their technical expertise and fortify rugby structures throughout the region.

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Rugby is one of the strongest expressions of that commitment. It connects France, its Pacific territories and Pacific Island countries through a shared passion, shared values and long-standing friendships.

Funded by the Agence Française de Développement and executed by Expertise France in collaboration with the Fiji Rugby Union and the French Rugby Federation, this initiative is designed to foster regional cooperation. Organizers anticipate it will establish a sustainable network of trainers and administrators equipped to champion rugby development long after the program concludes.

Benjamin Delannoy, Chargé d’Affaires at the French Embassy, underscored rugby's capacity to strengthen Franco-Pacific relations. "Rugby is one of the strongest expressions of that commitment. It connects France, its Pacific territories and Pacific Island countries through a shared passion, shared values and long-standing friendships," he stated. Elodie Vitalis, Head of AFD Fiji, added that the program's impact extends beyond the sport itself, recognizing sport as a "powerful driver of sustainable development." The CAP Rugby program also actively promotes inclusion, gender equality, environmental consciousness, and community development through its sporting activities.

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Sport is far more than competition. It is a powerful driver of sustainable development.