Rugby: Fiji to bring strong squad despite ban

But ban could rule Dale Tonawai out. Photo / Getty Images

It is difficult to know if Fiji's World Cup rugby squad selected yesterday is badly affected by the travel ban in place.

Fiji named 13 Fiji-based players in a 43-man preliminary squad. It is full of internationals and former Super Rugby players like Seremaia Bai, Sireli Bobo, Sisa Koyamboile, Nicky Little, Deacon Manu, Sireli Naqelevuki, Seru Rabeni and others - but there is no way yet of knowing who and how many of the 43 could be subject to New Zealand's ban.

The New Zealand Government have remained steadfast in the face of Fijian and IRB opposition that they won't allow Fijians with military ties to enter the country for this year's tournament. The travel ban has been in place since the military coup of 2006, when Commodore Frank Bainimarama took office.

The Fiji Rugby Union have petitioned the IRB's support to force New Zealand to accept all of their players to these shores regardless of military associations but Prime Minister John Key said this week, "we don't take our riding instructions from the IRB".

Fiji held trials for World Cup hopefuls on Friday and some players with military links as members of the Army rugby club were invited to play.

Fiji's front-row stocks might have been worst hit by the ban. Alefoso Yalayalatabua has been a cornerstone of the front row for most of the last decade while MaNasa Saulo (prop), Vesi Rarawa (prop), and Sireli Ledua (hooker) were all supposedly in contention - but none seem to have been named.

Others with World Cup aspirations include sevens representative Dale Tonawai (flanker) and Nikola Matawalu (halfback) - also not included, though there are seven unnamed, unavailable or injured players who could yet come into the squad to bringf it up to its fullk strength of 50.

Most of Fiji's best players play professionally in Europe or Japan but they will also be without Rupeni Caucaunibuca, who has ruled himself out of the World Cup to remain with his family in France.

Fiji moved through to the last eight four years ago in France, which included a 38-34 defeat of Wales, and pushed South Africa in their quarter-final before going down 37-20. They have targeted the quarter-finals again and have been grouped with South Africa, Wales, Samoa and Namibia.

The IRB would prefer all teams to be able to select their best available sides and will tackle the issue once Fiji name their wider squad. Until that time, an IRB spokesman said it was a "hypothetical situation".

Fiji won't boycott the tournament, however. The head of Fiji's Olympic Committee, Vidhya Lakhan, said Fiji should boycott the tournament or press for the IRB to move Fiji's games away from New Zealand. But the Fiji Rugby Union disagreed: "Comments such as that made by Lakhan can undermine much work being done behind the scenes to resolve such matters," Fiji Rugby Union president Ratu Isikeli Tasere said.