Fijian Drua waiting to get a lift to their hotel in Auckland late at night. Photo: Facebook
Fiji Rugby (FRU) will investigate incidents in which the Fijian Drua were forced to travel in the back of a cargo truck in Auckland on their way to their Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Hurricanes three weekends ago.
FRU Board chairman John Sanday told RNZ Pacific that what happened was "unacceptable".
"I want to see the results of the inquiry by Super Rugby Pacific and get the full facts," Sanday said when asked what the FRU would do.
"We will also conduct our won inquiry to understand the reason why this has occurred to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"These are professionals and they are our boys, we want them treated with the level of royalty that they rightly deserve.
"As the national union and these players are FRU players, that treatment is not acceptable at any level."
Pacific Rugby Players association chief executive officer Hale T Pole also stated they were shocked to learn of what the Drua players went through, both in Auckland and in Napier.
He said the treatment also reflected on how the referees in the Super Rugby Pacific competition have treated the Fiji Drua captains Tevita Ikanivere and Frank Lomani, alluding to key moments in the competition so far where referees have seemingly ignored complaints from the two on the field.
"Yes, it's not ideal," Pole said, referring to the incidents.
"We've been in talks all last week and this week with Jack Mesley, Super Rugby Pacific CEO, and Avan Lee, Hurricanes CEO.
"It also reflects how the referees have been treating Drua captain Tevita - he isn't receiving the same level of respect as other captains.
"Both Super Rugby and the hosting team should do better."
The Drua players had to catch a ride in the back of a cargo truck from Auckland airport to their hotel, when they arrived after midnight on 20 March.
They spent a night in Auckland before travelling on to Napier for their clash against the Hurricanes.
In Napier, the team had to spend most of the day on the beachfront or at parks around the city, before they moved to McLean Park on the afternoon on 22 March.
Super Rugby said the incidents were result of a misunderstanding and that they had resolved to ensure that did not happen again.
