A Fijian rugby team is still working through details with New Zealand officials so it can tour here this week.
The Naitasiri team missed their flight to Auckland last night due to New Zealand Immigration Service concerns. The team had applied for a group visa, but was turned down.
After appeals by
the Fijian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff agreed the team would be issued visas -- with three conditions.
It had to prove it had adequate finances for the trip, provide a detailed itinerary of the matches they were going to play and there had to be an undertaking from the Fijian government it would ensure all members of the touring party returned home at the end of the trip.
A spokesman for Mr Goff said the team had not yet managed to fulfil all of the requirements.
"The thing is still being worked on. As soon as they are able to meet the three conditions, they will be issued with the visas," the spokesman said.
He did not know how long it would take to complete the visa process.
"It's up to them. They've been told quite clearly what they've got to do and now it's just a matter of them doing that," he said.
Mr Goff had refused to confirm or deny an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report that the original visa was declined because two members of the group were on New Zealand's banned list over their alleged involvement in the 2000 coup.
AFP named the men as the team's patron and manager, district paramount chief Inoke Takiveikata and former MP Pecili Rinakama.
"We don't confirm or deny who's on the list," Mr Goff's spokesman said.
"Certainly we accept the fact that some of the names on the list are pretty obvious, but nevertheless we are still not going to do it.
"We also say if there are people who think they are on the list and don't believe they deserve to be on it, they are perfectly entitled to approach the High Commission in Suva and put a case for why they should be allowed to come to New Zealand."
If a person in the team was on the list, they would not be issued a visa, he said.
- NZPA
