Amateur RL: Organisers scrap BARLA Lions game due to energy-sapping conditions

BARLA Lions and West Fiji players after yesterday's match.

The Lions began their tour with a 22-20 win over West Fiji yesterday and were due to take on Fiji Bati Residents tomorrow, but that has been cancelled due to “issues with the high heat and humidity which could impact player welfare”.

The team will be back in action against the Australian Combined Affiliated States on Tuesday, November 20 and face Bati Residents as planned three days later.

Kick-off has been pushed back for both games to 5.30pm (4.30am UK time), four hours later than this week’s match.

The revised schedule was agreed after talks between the BARLA management committee and Fiji National Rugby League.

Hunslet Club Parkside’s Jamie Fields is the Lions’ tour captain.

Fields, who kicked three goals as the tourists hit back from 16-10 down at half-time, said: “It was tough, a tough game.

“I don’t think anyone anticipated just how hot it would be at that time of kick-off.

“We knew when we were told kick-off had changed from 3pm to 1.30pm that our backs were against the wall, but we definitely didn’t anticipate those conditions.

“I thought we coped really well.”