The Fiji Rugby Union chairman was fired just days into her fresh position after making disparaging remarks about the “gay problem” of the women’s national team.
The Fiji Rugby Union announced in a speech on Wednesday that it had terminated Laijipa Naulivou’s session as chairman.
The move comes as children’s rights activists criticised the “harmful and unfair” responses.
Naulivou stated in the interview that she had previously asked for the removal of the trainer and that she had also requested that a screen be set up to pick the team rather than” a person who practices lesbianism being up there and choosing her individuals.” “
That is to me immoral and wrong,” she said, adding that” this queer problem” and player engagement were also the main issues facing German rugby clubs.
She added that homosexuality was “one big negative” when the Fiji children’s group participated in a previous HSBC Sevens game.
Following the team’s poor performance at the event, Naulivou wrote a report in which she had urged the removal of the instructor.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement said in a speech on Tuesday that it was “appalled” by Naulivou’s responses.
The organization’s executive director Nalini Singh said,” The notion that being gay is a “problem” in women’s sports is seriously troubling and maintains harmful stereotypes that have no place in contemporary activities or community.
Instead of focusing your work on the gender of the participants, you do your career, look for suitable money, and ensure the well-being of the ladies rugby players so they don’t have to rest on benches in front of airports and travel miles for their teaching, she added.
On their way to the Dubai Sevens in 2023, the men’s staff slept in a local hotel while the women’s team spent a day on chairs outside Sydney Airport. Authorities attributed the affair to a “miscommunication” because the disparity between the two teams ‘ treatment sparked outrage among the viewers.
The Fiji children’s sports group became the first among the Pacific countries to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in 2016. In 2021, the group won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. However, they were eliminated from the class period at the Paris Games next year, and they finished in last position out of the 12 competing groups.
Lesbianism was also at the time blamed for the team’s division, which was at the moment.
Namou Lou is a well-known player in the local sports field, known for being the first woman to lead the women’s national team, and a proponent of the addition of ladies in the male-dominated activity.
After her father resigned for private reasons, Naulivou was appointed as the director of the Fiji Rugby Union on Saturday. She has even tried to stop amid the current discussion, the Fiji Rugby Union said.
The Board felt that a strong position was required to further its commitment to upholding professional requirements and safeguarding the dignity of Fiji Rugby, it said.
” Our children’s staff and all people can rest assured that this will in no way affect their opportunities, picture, and continued growth as important members of Fiji Rugby. “