After a meeting last week, the Fiji government have reportedly agreed to submit a bid to become a future expansion team of the NRL.
ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys has consistently discussed during a range of interviews that he desires the NRL to one day have 20 teams after The Dolphins entered the competition in 2023 as the 17th club.
While there has been no confirmation on which club will be next to enter the NRL competition,ย News Corp journalist Brent Read has disclosed that the Fiji government have agreed to submit a bid for an NRL team by themselves.
"The Fiji government had a meeting last week and they agreed they are going to put in a bid for a team, NRL team...by themselves," Brent Read said on Triple M.
"To make it happen, they are going to offer 200 per cent tax rebate to sponsors...so they [the government] pay you money to sponsor the team."
It is understood that Fiji are hoping to become the 19th or 20th team in the NRL down the track, with Read stating that it is nearly certain that Papua New Guinea will be the next expansion team introduced.
Earlier this month, Fiji rugby league legend Petero Civoniceva revealed he would love to see the country have their own club in the competition.
This comes as the Kaiviti Silktails - a Fijian club - were promoted to the Jersey Flegg Cup this season in a historic agreement with the NSWRL after previously playing in the Ron Massey Cup.
"I think that's absolutely key if you're going to have a franchise or anything of that sort, that you've got to have a very strong and robust development pathway for your primary school kids all the way into high school and leading into a senior competition," he told Wide World of Sports.
"That's certainly something Fiji has and I know with great support and more opportunities like playing in the NSWRL, we can grow that next level of NRL and NRLW players for future from Fiji."
