NZ play hardball, despite Fijian threats

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Wednesday that calls for Fiji to boycott the World Cup would not force Wellington to lift a ban on players linked to Pacific nation's military regime.

Fiji's Olympic chief Vidya Lakhan has urged a boycott if the travel sanctions, imposed after a 2006 military coup, remained in place for the September 9 to October 23 tournament in New Zealand.

Key said relaxing the ban on anyone with ties to Fijian strongman Voreque Bainimarama's military regime "would make a bit of a mockery" of New Zealand's efforts to restore democracy in the country.

"We haven't changed our stance, which is that if someone is associated with the regime they will be subject to travel sanctions," he told reporters.

Lakhan, president of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASNOC), said the ban amounted to political interference in team selection and should be unacceptable to the International Rugby Board (IRB).

"If Fiji cannot send its best team to take part in the World Cup then we should consider boycotting the World Cup," he said in a video posted on the committee's website Wednesday.

"Whoever we select must be allowed to take part in the World Cup, which is an IRB event, it is not a New Zealand event."

Lakhan said the IRB should look at relocating Fiji's World Cup games from New Zealand to another venue if Wellington refused to lift the ban.

IRB chief executive Mike Miller said in April that Fiji would send a team to the tournament, regardless of any bans imposed by New Zealand.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray confirmed the IRB had raised the possibility of easing the ban but accepted that the government had the final say on who could enter the country.

"Their starting position is they want to see as many teams that are participating in the tournament as possible able to participate on as free as possible terms," McCully told reporters.

"Obviously they don't want to have limitations on who can get into New Zealand affecting the character of teams."

Fiji have been drawn in Pool D in the World Cup, alongside South Africa, Wales, Samoa and Namibia.

AFP