International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman
Vernon Pugh wants to meet Australia's Minister of Sport next month in the hope
that the 2003 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand can proceed as planned.

New Zealand-based deputy chairman of the IRB Rob Fisher Tuesday confirmed a
letter had been sent to the Australian Government expressing concern over
thestaging of the World Cup.

Australia imposed a ban on Fiji as part of sanctions against the nation following last year's coup.The IRB's concerns follow the hard line taken by the Australian Government in banning Fiji from an IRB-sanctioned sevens tournament in Brisbane on February 16 and 17.

The IRB then cancelled the event, raising fears for the 2003 World Cup
if the same action were taken by the Australians.

Fisher was on the committee that stripped Brisbane of the tournament -
a move based on the IRB's governance of the game which states local or
regional bans are not an appropriate reason to prevent a team from competing in one of its events. The ban on Fiji is not international.

The New Zealand Government has a different stance and is allowing Fiji
to compete in Wellington next month at a sevens tournament.

"The IRB regards the principle as the same," Fisher said."The IRB doesn't know the basis of the Australian Government's reasoning in relation to Fiji. They were not banned from the Olympics which was a world event and the rugby World Cup is also a world event."

Pugh will be in Wellington for next month's sevens tournament and has
offered to meet Australian Minister of Sport Jackie Kelly to discuss the
situation.

Fisher is also a director of the rugby World Cup and will attend a board
meeting in Argentina next week.The board had made no contingency plans in the event of Australia and New Zealand being stripped of the cup and at this stage would not be doing so.

Fisher said he believed meeting the Australian minister would bring the
issue to a head and he hoped for a quick resolution.

He also confirmed the Australian Rugby Union had been notified by letter of
the IRB's concerns and Pugh's letter to the Australian Government.