Get Into Rugby Plus Launches Rugby Festival for 16 Days of Activism

The Get Into Rugby Plus (GIR Plus) program, under the Fiji Rugby Development Unit, launched its Rugby Festival today at Bidesi Park in Suva. The event marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children.

The festival brought together primary schools from the central division, where young players took part in tag rugby and other activities designed to promote the theme of this year’s activism: “To End Violence Against Women and Girls.” The event aims to combine the spirit of rugby with important social messages about family violence, encouraging both fun and learning in equal measure.

Oripa Lee, the national coordinator for GIR Plus, emphasized the importance of creating safe and nurturing environments for all children. “The children taking part in our rugby festival come from families and have every right to grow up in a healthy, safe, and happy family,” Lee said. “Today, we are reminded of the important Walk Against Family Violence (WAFV), which also marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism. I invite each one of us to join the GIR PLUS coaches and players in filling in our calendars for the next 16 days to accelerate progress in eliminating violence against women and girls.”

The Get Into Rugby Plus initiative is a key Sport For Development program under the Fiji Rugby Union. It is designed to educate and mentor young athletes by promoting the core rugby values of Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Passion, and Solidarity. Through rugby, the program aims to teach the participants that violence in any form has no place in their lives or their sport.

“Every team that plays today will showcase their potential on the rugby field, but they will all go home a winner,” Lee added. “We want to make sure they understand that violence is never in our game plan, and that they can be positive agents of change in their communities.”

The event also welcomed several key representatives, including Acting Australian High Commissioner Mrs. Clair McNamara and Selai Korovusere, National Coordinator for the Fiji National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls. Both leaders shared empowering messages with the young participants.

“We all have to work together—through sport, through the police, and through our communities—to do a lot better at looking after our women,” McNamara said. “When you’re playing your sport, think about how you treat your teammates, your families, and each other. Challenge yourselves to be kinder, so that the values of Respect, Discipline, Integrity, Passion, and Solidarity become part of your everyday life.”

Korovusere highlighted the role of sport in promoting positive social change: “Sport is one of the most powerful ways to teach fairness, respect, and teamwork. It’s a space where boys and girls can dream big, play together, and learn to support one another. But for sport to truly empower children, these spaces must be safe, inclusive, and free from violence or discrimination.”

The 16 Days of Activism campaign will feature a variety of activities, including online activations, themed days, and a movie night, all aimed at raising awareness and inspiring action to end violence against women and girls.

The GIR Plus program is co-funded by the Australian Government’s Team Up initiative in partnership with Rugby Australia and Oceania Rugby, as well as UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office, through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (funded by the European Union), with targeted support from the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and ChildFund Rugby.