Valenitabua refutes claims by Fiji Sun

Fiji Rugby Administrator Simione Valenitabua refutes claims in the Fiji Sun dated  16/05/2023 that he sent Legal Officer and Human Resources Manager on leave prior to being appointed as Administrator of FRU.

Mr. Valenitabua’s letter of appointment by the Minister for Justice is dated 27/04/2023. The Legal Officer concerned was sent on leave on 28/04/2023. The HR officer was sent on leave on  09/05/2023. Both decisions were made after Mr. Valenitabua’s appointment on 27/04/2023. Therefore, as Administrator FRU, Mr Valenitabua deemed the Fiji Sun article as defamatory tainting his character, false and derogatory.  FRU and its Administrator have consulted their solicitors to commence defamation proceedings against the Fiji Sun and its reporter Sereana Salalo.

Mr. Valenitabua is currently in France after successfully negotiating with the French Federation of Rugby for the Fiji Water Flying Fijians to play the French as a Rugby World Cup warm-up on 19/08/2023 with the FFR covering all expenses of the tour from Nadi to France leading up to the RWC. He travels to England this week to meet with the Rugby Football Union of England on the 2nd warm-up match against the English on 26/08/2023 in Twickenham.

Mr. Valenitabua says that this character assassination by the Fiji Sun and its reporter belittled him and discredited him in the face of World Rugby. He assures the Fiji Rugby community that this article by the Fiji Sun is not true and not to believe it.

Click HERE for Photo 1
Caption: FRU Administrator Simione Valenitabua with Executive President of C.A Brive Correze Limousin Rugby Union Mr. Xavier Ric, has invited Fiji Rugby to make use of their state-of-the-art facilities during their RWC campaign in France.

Click HERE for Photo 2
Caption: FRU Administrator Mr. Simione Valenitabua on the right with Dr. Serge Simon, Vice President of the FFR.