The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Embassy of the Republic of Fiji in Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), are working closely to promote sports diplomacy through the provision of rugby scholarships for Fiji students to study in Japan.
A team from the Oita Tomei High School and Matsumoto Kokusai High School recently visited Fiji in time for the Fiji Secondary Schools Deans Quarter Finals Rugby Competition.
Their visit aims to identify and recruit Fijian students for fully sponsored scholarships for three-year programs in Japan.
The scholarship is worth around FJ$150,000 per student, with an extended opportunity to study for another four years at any University in Japan.
The Japanese delegation, accompanied by the First Secretary of Fiji’s Embassy in Japan, Ms. Kelera Savu, visited schools in the central and western divisions as part of their programme in Fiji.
As an initiative of the Fiji Embassy in Japan, the program is an essential platform for Fiji to deepen its outreach in promoting rugby and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries.
While rugby is now a significant wage earner for players contracted in Japan, it is also an excellent opportunity for our young high school rugby players to pursue careers in education and sports.
Since 2018, Oita Tomei High School, Japan, has brought in two students every two years to undertake a three-year high school study scholarship, including rugby and people-to-people exchanges.
Matsumoto Kokusai High School in Nagano also did the same this year, bringing in one student yearly.
In January 2023, Oita Maizuru High School in Oita signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ratu Kadavulevu School on the promotion of people-to-people exchanges, education, sports, and cultural exchanges based on reciprocity and mutual benefits for both schools.
Since 2018, Oita Tomei High School, Japan, has brought in six (6) students or two students every two years under this three-year high school study scholarship.
