Fiji builds hopes of World Cup win with plans for Super Rugby franchise
London — Plans to establish a Super Rugby franchise in Fiji to stop top players leaving the Pacific Islands are well advanced and have over £20m ($24.8m) in backing, the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday. The team would be based in a 20,000-seater stadium close to Fiji’s airport with four large international companies and two major kit manufacturers prepared to fund the project, the paper said. About 19% of the world’s professional rugby players are originally from the Pacific Islands but many represent world champions New Zealand, Australia, France and England after qualifying under residency rules. "I believe the impact of this plan would see Fiji win the World Cup one day," said Ben Ryan, the English coach who led his adopted country to the Olympic sevens gold medal this year. "We have shown in sevens what we can do and if you just look at the impact the Fiji players are having on the tier one countries, they are their star players in New Zealand, Australia, England and France....
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