RFU Revamps Fixtures To Help Fiji

The Rugby Football Union has cancelled England’s scheduled November international against Fiji and replaced it with a Test against Australia in a move designed to help the cash-strapped second-tier rugby nation.

The move is an attempt to strengthen the financial position of Fijian rugby, which recently lost a major sponsor and recorded a loss of £230,000.

A game against Australia will generate a £7m surplus, a significant portion of which will go to the Fijians.

The cash injection will mean Fiji can continue with their autumn Tests against Scotland (14th November) and Ireland (21st November).

England’s meeting with Australia on 7th November will be followed by matches against Argentina and New Zealand.

Australia will follow their match at Twickenham with games against Ireland, Scotland and Wales, ensuring their take part in their first Grand Slam rugby tour in 25 years.

As for Fiji, they will now face the United States on 28th November instead of playing England.

‘Moving around our autumn schedule is not ideal but to be able to offer Fiji substantive support we needed to find a multi-union approach,’ said RFU chief executive Francis Baron.

The schedule alteration was approved by the International Rugby Board as part of a global package of measures designed to support Fijian rugby.

The RFU confirmed that plans to stage a fourth autumn international, with revenue to be shared between the RFU and Premiership clubs, were now off the table.

Domestic club representative body Premier Rugby decided they would prefer to stick by the current arrangement of three autumn internationals for 2009.