Tuqiri Lote has criticized the unacceptable ‘abuse “of Super Rugby Pacific from the Drua Fidjienne itinerant and hopes that a turn of” ridiculous “events will not happen again after the team has been photographed forced to travel at the back of a luggage truck.
The legend born by the Fiji and the Australian double international also targeted the “lack of hospitality” of New Zealand after having learned that the Drua was forced to leave their hotel room in Napier, with nowhere to go and rest, several hours before playing well-accommodating hurricanes in two rounds a fortnight ago.
But Tuqiri’s largest beef is the way in which managers, nowadays, could not have organized better transport than professional rugby was forced to last during a horror evening on February 21.
After landing in New Zealand just before midnight, 4 p.m. before kick-off against the Hurricanes in a place several hours away, the Drua team could not locate the bus reserved by super rugby organizers to transport them to their hotel.
After discovering the apparent error of the bus company, the Fijian outfit has stacked a reserved truck to transport the luggage and the equipment of the team.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Tuqiri.
The legend of Australian Rugby Fijian, Lote Tuqiri, criticized this image on the Fidjian side Drua transported to the back of a truck
Tuqiri has a faithful heritage and played for NSW Waratahs and Australian Wallabies during his rugby career
The Drua went down to the Highlanders in a thriller, with many fans pointing towards their poor advantage for a reason for late capitulation
“You might think that the organizers would sort it out, given the age of competition. It’s not like a new competition.
“It was probably not meant but, I mean, it is actually unacceptable.”
Even after finally arriving in a hotel, they had to share with the Hurricanes, the players and the Drua staff were informed that they could not obtain late payment as their hosts appreciated, before the start of 4 p.m. on Saturday.
“You can’t expect a team to be treated this way,” said Tuqiri.
“It is not a team under 11 or under 12 that have brought together funds (for a junior road trip).
“They are a professional outfit and they should be treated accordingly.”
Composing the frustration of the DRUA, they lost on the Buzzer 38-34, after having also left a late lead to slide in the first round at home against the Brumbies act.
“I don’t think we had all the favors that land in Wellington. We did not have a ready bus, unfortunately, then even when we arrived at the hotel in Napier, we did not have a ready room ” deplored Drua Glen Jackson coach. “So there were a lot of things that were against us.”
Then, after a six -day turnaround, the tired Drua of travel also advanced the end of the NSW Waratahs in Sydney last Friday evening.
Rugby was also shocked fans to see the image, asking how it was allowed to happen.
“It’s sad. When these teams visit our coasts, we prepare them and welcome them as if they were ours. Why Kiwis? asked for a fan.
“I am shocked and completely saddened by that. Doesn’t Auspacificsports finance this kind of thing and does not support Fijian rugby? questioned another.
“What is crazy is that this group of guys will take something like that in their stride and will take the best party. This does not mean that it should happen to them and that people should not enjoy their good nature, “posted another.
Tuqiri, a 2003 Wallabies World Cup finalist and winner of the Dual NRL Premières with Brisbane and South Sydney, said that losing three consecutive tight competitions against super rugby heavy goods vehicles was difficult.
But the Australian Fidjian proud considers the treatment in New Zealand even more difficult to swallow.
“To be fair, I am actually a little surprised by the lack of hospitality of New Zealanders,” said Tuqiri.
Tuquiri wants to see better treatment for the traveling Fiji teams, especially since the island nation deploys the red carpet to visit the teams
“In the sense that they (Fiji and NZ) are close neighbors.
“Obviously, the hotel was reserved and there were things that you cannot control, but I think that this kind of thing you can (find a solution).
“You cannot have guys walking on the day of the match, sitting in parks, lying in the hall and that, and the other.
“It’s an unfair playing field. Entering at 12 noon, the bus is not there … It’s just ridiculous. This certainly cannot happen again.
“I’m sure it has probably happened before, but things have probably been put in place since.
“I do not know the ins and outs, but that should not happen from a professional point of view.
“The competition has been taking place for 30 years now.”