Editor,

The events of Wednesday, April 10, 2013 which led to the Tonga Rugby Union Board deciding to oust Chairman Epeli Taione and Chief Executive Officer Mrs Emeline Tuita was long overdue.

That action brought to an end a long running dispute the Board had with Mr Taione in regards to what the Board claimed “was the unconstitutional appointment” of the new CEO.

It was something that was inevitable from Day One, when Mrs Tuita, the former Ambassador to China, was brought into the TRU fraternity by Mr Taione.

Controversy surrounded those first steps taken by the now former Chairman and it continued when Mr Taione announced through the media in late January that Mrs Tuita had been appointed the new TRU Chief Executive Officer.

The Board members were up in arms after that announcement, saying they were not advised and the appointment was one they had not endorsed. That led to a number of correspondences flying in and out of the TRU office at Langafonua  Building between the Board members and the TRU. It eventually led to the action taken on April 10.

The problem could have been avoided if transparency was upheld and those involved played by the rules, so to speak.

IRB

Tonga Rugby can’t afford to be on the wrong side again with the International Rugby Board. The international union body has been patient enough with the TRU in the past, following similar cases of mismanagement and bad decisions.

The appointment of the new Board in 2012 and the adoption of a new constitution were seen as the stepping-stones to making positive changes at the TRU.

In came a Strategic Plan that had set targets aimed at developing the game from the grassroots, putting in place systems and structures to support those development and setting up programs aimed at offering our players the best opportunities to expose their talents. But, unfortunately, the old problem of Pacific rugby was still very much alive within that set-up.

Qualifications

That old problem is called ‘vakavanua’ in Fijian or ‘doing it the traditional way’ if loosely translated in English. The sooner Tonga Rugby learns to move away from ‘doing it the traditional way’ and focusing on making things professional and keeping up with the changing face of world rugby, the quicker we will get away from all these problems and in the process start making some real headways.

That would include making sure that the best qualified people are selected to lead in the different roles within the TRU – no matter their colour, religion, race or creed. That would mean making sure that we select people according to the rules and the constitution that governs our existence and not select anyone because we ‘owe them a favour’ or ‘because we are related to them’. Unfortunately, that is the real problem that we have here in the Pacific. And Tonga is no exception.

What happened on April 10 should be a pointer to all those wanting to get onto the bandwagon. If we want Tonga Rugby to grow and reach its full potential, then those charged with taking the lead roles must be transparent, honest and diligent in their work. They must not be in the game to gain any favours – be it financial or otherwise. Their priority must be ensuring that resources are available, that structures are in place and that personnel are there to support the plans put in place and carry them out. Their focus must be on ensuring that there is a positive environment that would enhance positive growth and development of player talents so that we can reap the full benefits on the world rugby stage. 

Nothing less!

If they are not able to do that, they should not be in there at all.

Iliesa Tora,
Former Tonga 7s team manager,
Nuku'alofa, Tonga