LAUTOKA, Fiji — NRL Commissioner Peter Beattie has praised the vision behind the Kaiviti Silktails Training Academy in Lautoka, describing the new facilities as “first class” and a model that could be replicated across Fiji and the Pacific.
The ‘Bobby Naidu High Performance Gym’ is to be named in honor of Australian based Lautoka Businessman and Silktails Sponsor Bobby Naidu who donated the shed structure as his contribution to the project.
Beattie visited the new High Performance Gym which is currently under construction at Ground 3, Churchill Park, as part of an NRL and DFAT delegation touring the Silktails’ developing rugby league training precinct.
On arrival, Beattie was introduced to Kaiviti Silktails staff and players by Silktails Chairman and rugby league great Petero Civoniceva.
After being presented with a Silktails jersey, Beattie addressed the club and spoke about the NRL’s long-term commitment to supporting rugby league development in Fiji.
“The NRL has just signed a historic agreement with the Fiji Government to support rugby league for the next 10 years,” Beattie said.
“We want you all to know that we are here to support the Silktails during this time and I look forward to seeing the future talent here in Fiji emerge from this program.”
Silktails CEO Stephen Driscoll, alongside project partners from Lautoka City Council, Western Facilities Management and Concrete Solutions, then toured the construction site and the wider Churchill Park precinct with the NRL and DFAT delegation.
Beattie was particularly impressed by the vision of creating a dedicated high-performance environment alongside the Silktails’ playing field.
“The facilities here are going to be fantastic,” Beattie said.
“The Silktails are going to have, if you like, a centre of excellence for training of the players right next to the field. I mean, that is a 10 out of 10.
“And the playing space is so close. Getting a whole precinct is very, very clever.”
Beattie also praised the leadership and initiative shown by the Silktails and the collaboration between the organisation, Lautoka City Council and the project partners.
“Really, congratulations to all the organisers, the council, the Silktails, all that, because it’s a partnership. And the builder, it’s really first class,” he said.
“I’ve got to say, I’m delighted. This is a role model to be used in other places. It’s very good.”
Beattie said one of the most encouraging aspects of the project was that its impact would extend beyond the Silktails and rugby league.
“The part that encouraged me most about this was that this would not just be a benefit for rugby league but as a community asset through the partnership with Lautoka City Council,” Beattie said.
Civoniceva said hosting the delegation provided an opportunity to showcase the Silktails’ broader vision for a dedicated rugby league training precinct in Lautoka.
“It was wonderful to host the NRL and DFAT to show them what our vision for a rugby league training precinct will look like here in Lautoka and potentially for the rest of Fiji and the Pacific,” Civoniceva said.
The High Performance Gym at Ground 3 forms a key part of that vision, providing the Silktails with a dedicated environment for strength and conditioning, player preparation and development within close proximity to their training and playing facilities.
The project also demonstrates the importance of partnerships in developing sporting infrastructure that can deliver benefits beyond professional rugby league and become an asset for the wider Lautoka community.
Beattie’s endorsement of the project, together with the NRL’s commitment to supporting rugby league in Fiji over the next decade, provides further momentum for the Silktails as they continue to develop pathways for the next generation of Fijian rugby league talent.
The future is sure looking brighter for Rugby League in Fiji.
