Despite the ongoing impasse with the Fiji government regarding the retrospective and without consultation implementation of the Television (Cross-Carriage of Designated Events) Decree 2014, World Rugby does not want rugby fans to miss out on the action as the Fiji continue in their quest to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
While World Rugby recognises that the absence of a television broadcast is inconvenient for fans, it was left with no other option than to withhold the broadcast feed owing to the Fiji government’s apparent ongoing reluctance to enter into meaningful dialogue regarding the decree.
World Rugby was not consulted by the Fiji Government ahead of the decree being implemented, as is the global norm for similar types of legislation introduced in other territories. World Rugby is also uncomfortable with the outcome reflected in the decree which lays claim to access to the entirety of the rugby designated events (rather than the more proportionate position of limiting it to the Fiji national team matches) and represents a worrying erosion of its contractual, commercial and event ownership rights, all of which arise from tournaments which are held outside of Fiji.
The decree designates three World Rugby events (Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the HSBC Sevens World Series), making rugby union the sport most affected by the new law. Given the apparent intention of the Government to retrospectively apply the decree, World Rugby is deeply concerned that it undermines existing exclusive contractual broadcast arrangements which have been in place with Fiji TV (which is a free to air broadcaster) for some years, and has the real potential to destroy any commercial value for such world-class events in Fiji in the future. These are revenues that are reinvested by World Rugby in the development of the global game, including significant re-investment in Fiji.
World Rugby continues to press the government to engage in dialogue with a view to addressing the issues in the best interests of global and Fijian rugby. World Rugby is deeply disappointed that those most affected by this are the fans of the sport.
