Fijian national disqualified after turning out for Sri Lanka
Fiji-born former Sri Lanka International Sevens Rugby player Emori Waqavulagi’s fate has been on trail of his fortunes, forcing his name to be excluded from the Fiji Sevens team for the upcoming Dubai Sevens the Sunday Times learns.
Emori Waqavulagi
Waqavulagi, whose name was drafted to represent Sri Lanka at the Asian5Nations alongside Joseph Dunn and Apisai Naqaliva, represented the Tuskers at the Asian Sevens Series displaying the true potential the Island Nation could gain by fielding foreigners.
However slightly before the political wind of change the whereabouts of these three Fijians were never heard of and news circulated that one of them are enlisted in the Malaysian Sevens lineup.
Two months ago Waqavulagi broke into the Fiji Sevens squad with his impressive style of play, which brought Sri Lanka to another level when he represented the Tuskers.
It is reliably learnt that the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) had to seek clarification with regard to Waqavulagi’s eligibility to represent the Pacific Island Nation after having his name drawn with the Sri Lanka Sevens squad.
On Tuesday (24) the FRU officials were forced to remove Waqavulagi’s name from the Fiji squad for the Dubai Sevens as confirmed by their coach Ben Ryan who had stated that it was the only logical option pending investigations, according to a report on Fiji Times Online (FTO).
“It is with regret that we have removed Emori Waqavulagi from the squad to Dubai. It has been brought to our attention that he has previously played for Sri Lanka at 15s and 7s and is therefore capped under World Rugby Regulations for Sri Lanka,” he was quoted as saying to FTO.
The FTO states that while the FRU had sought a ruling from rugby’s governing body with reference to Waqavulagi’s eligibility, there were no indications of a decision being made any time soon.
“We have subsequently sought an urgent ruling from the World Rugby Regulations Committee as to Emori’s eligibility to play for Fiji and that the process has commenced, however indications are that this will not be completed prior to the Dubai Sevens.
Whilst World Rugby launches a full investigation into his eligibility we have no other option than to exclude him,” Ryan had told FTO.
Waqavulagi had represented the Fiji’s Tabadamu 7s team and had caught the attention of Ryan, who had soon drafted him to the National Sevens squad.
Waqavulagi had earlier told FTO that he was unaware even of his eligibility to play for Sri Lanka and had directed the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLFRU) officials to issue his ticket home with the realisation that his participation for them could hamper his rugby career.
“I played for Sri Lanka but did not know that I was ineligible. The officials in Sri Lanka had not given the right information to me and on the forms that were filled.
Once I realised what was happening, I told them that this would affect my rugby career and I asked them to pay for my ticket home,” Waqavulagi had told the Fijian media.
Waqavulagi played for the now-defunct Hambantota Sharks in the local Division ‘A’ Club League Tournament and earned the highest bid a player could earn at the last-held Carlton Super Sevens Rugby Championship.
Waqavulagi fetched 4.5 million Sri Lankan rupees to represent Western Warriors in the 2014 edition of the star-studded Sevens Rugby competition that was never played ever since.
Higher officials of SLRFU, which is currently run under a Competent Authority, were not available for any comments in this regard.
SLRFU was headed by Asanga Seneviratne while Nalin de Silva was its General Secretary at the time when documentations of Waqavulagi, Dunn and Naqaliva were drafted to the global rugby authorities. Current officials attached to SLRFU refrained from making any comments on this matter.
Even the questions sent by FTO and other media organisations in Fiji to the SLFRU still remain unanswered according to reports. Waqavulagi is said to have been drafted to the FRU’s extended Sevens squad until the matter is fully resolved.