RELEASE NUMBER 76/16
CORAL COAST, SIGATOKA, FIJI – In early July, 25 junior rugby players from Newport Rugby Club, Sydney, and their dads returned to Fiji for the 10th year and together with staff from Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort headed back to Conua School located in the Sigatoka Valley.
The visit was to give the school a major refurbishment that included repainting all school buildings as well as the construction of a bathroom facility for the school staff.
Outrigger Resort General Manager Peter Hopgood said that it was truly wonderful to continue a great partnership with the Newport Rugby Club that makes such a difference to the Fijian community.
“To undertake a major project like this, the resort, the Newport Club and the local community through fundraising were able to raise funds to cover the project costs,”he said.
“We like to help those organizations that help themselves and it was gratifying to see that over 100 young men from the surrounding villages turned up at the school on the day to make a contribution to the renovation and construction works.
“We have been involved with Conua School for seven years now due mainly to the School Manager Mr. Atu Finau, who is extremely passionate about the school and the welfare of its children,” said Mr. Hopgood.
Mr. David Gale, organizer for the Newport Rugby Club, said, “The Newport Junior Rugby Club is immensely proud to be associated with Outrigger Fiji’s community tourism work at the school.
“As a club we have been coming to Fiji for over 10 years now, and we have never been more warmly welcomed than when we visit Outrigger.
“The boys and their dads always have an incredible experience, and we feel we are truly blessed to have the opportunity to give back to the beautiful people of Fiji,” he said.
END