Page 31 - IB January 2024

Sports Sports

Fiji] officiating in the HSBC 7s Series.
But it takes time, planning, strategising
and training to make sure we get to
that level.”
Wong gives credit to the International
Olympic Committee for recognising
women in rugby.
“In 2016, we had to fight our way to
get recognised and the only way was
to make sure that all our 136 member
countries recognise women in their
constitution.”
That was how 7s rugby was finally
included as an official Olympic sport.
Also addressing the CCF webinar was
Asinate Rokovaki, Fiji Bulikula manager
and counselor.
The Bulikula is the national women’s
rugby league team of Fiji.
While rugby league is a different
format from rugby union, Rokovaki
highlighted that women in rugby league
also faced the same challenges in
trying to bridge the gap between men
and women.
“Through hard work and dedication,
we’ve managed to pay our women
(Bulikula) players the same amount
of money as the men (Fiji Bati). That
in itself is a huge change for us, a
breakthrough especially for our local
women’s players,” said Rokovati.
Another prime example of leading
Pacific women who are breaking
barriers in rugby is Fiao’o Fa’amausili,
a former New Zealand Black Ferns
captain and four-time Rugby World
Cup winner. Of Samoan heritage,
Fa’amausili is possibly the only Pacific
woman to be inducted into the World
Rugby Hall of Fame. But her list of
rugby accolades does not end there.
She is a New Zealand Police detective
by profession and served as President of
Auckland Rugby Union in 2021 - the first
woman to ever do so.
The fight to get women to the top of
the rugby world clearly has nothing to
do with their capabilities.
But if there are any questions,
women such as Fa’amausili show they
can easily balance the score cards - on
and off the field.

Women rugby players breaking through the barriers,
on and off the field. Photo: Reuters

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