Sulueti Tubu – Women in Sports Administration

Earlier this year Sulueti Tubu was reappointed as this years’ Raka 7s Operations Officer. Her role was primarily the planning and delivery of a well organised rugby fiesta for 64 clubs comprising of women and men and their fans.

The decision taken by the organisers of Fiji’s largest local rugby tournament had become a timely endorsement for the 26 year old from Tailevu inspiring her to do even better this year. As a certified referee, match official and rugby coach, this highly trained administrator is poised to deliver on expectations. She began her career in sports administration in 2013 where she assisted the Flying Fijians IT support staff as their video analyst. She has also organised numerous rugby tournaments which she confirms has involved an average of 24 to 32 clubs. This compared to her first experience at Raka 7s where more than 60 clubs participated to make it Fiji’s largest locally organised event with the highest paying rewards.

Being the daughter of a seasoned FRU development officer, Joeli Tubu, this young lass has had more than enough experience to conduct such an event. “My first memory of rugby has been as a 12 year old accompanying my dad to his many engagements as a development officer. This has been an excellent learning platform with real life experiences to teach me and mould my credibility,” she said.

Currently, Sala is engaged with the Tavua Rugby club wearing multiple hats ranging from Secretary, to Club Manager. A role, she claims has enabled her to give back to the rugby fraternity.

To ensure a smooth and successfully run Raka 7s tournament, Ms Tubu has stressed the importance of submitting clear and up to date registration details. She believes that this would enable all parties, participants and officials, to work together to deliver a rewarding rugby fiesta for all involved.

“Last year, thanks to excellent registration and early prep, we hosted a rugby tournament with efficient administration and back up support. This is absolutely critical for an event that pays out the largest value in prize money,” she added.

This year, the Raka 7s tournament took on a whole new meaning for this rugby administrator. “I was so excited that this year’s event will serve as a platform to once again advocate environment protection while at the same time, amplify the value of women and their protection against violence against women and children.”

For Ms Tubu, sport is truly an effective vehicle for change and this is clearly demonstrated in the fair representation of women and men plus her appointment to oversee the operations durgin the Raka 7s event.

This is an area of focus that she will weave into her team’s preparation of the upcoming tournaments.“Often I have received feedback, positive and negative, about my active engagement in different facets of rugby administration, an area dominated by male participation,” she mentioned. “This has fuelled my passion to establish my reputation in this arena. She has acknowledged the massive shift in mindset from the national body, Fiji Rugby Union, to modify its operations and make it conducive to women. “We are now seeing the establishment of a women’s code of rugby in the Skipper and Vanua Cup. The same is extending to 7s rugby. The result can only be positive and immediately lift FRU to meet global standards of the game,” she said. According to Ms Tubu, with the changing culture implemented from the top, it will only be a matter of time before it filters down to grass roots level.

The Raka 7s tournament was held on 30th November and 1st December at the ANZ Stadium with the Womens FWCC Cup Winner – Marist Seahawks walking away with $10,000 Cash.