Fiji rugby coach Vern Cotter has defended his side's decision not to wear pro-vaccination messages on their playing jerseys against the All Blacks for the second week in a row.
In the lead up to last week's first test against the All Blacks in Dunedin, Fiji pulled out of donning the 'Vaccinate Fiji' message at the last minute, before their 57-23 defeat at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
And despite saying that they would don the message in the build up to Saturday's second test in Hamilton, Fiji again took to the field without the pro-vaccination branding.
Fiji's hospitals are currently overrun as the Pacific nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 16,000 cases and 85 deaths recorded in the country.
But speaking after Saturday's 60-13 defeat in Hamilton, coach Cotter said that the decision was about helping the team's major sponsor, Fiji Airways.
And after a week's worth of coverage, Cotter argues that the 'Vaccinate Fiji' message has been articulated.
"It's a complex issue," Cotter says.
"The major sponsor offered the spot for 'Vaccinate Fiji.' There were questions around whether or not it was a directive. It came back to being a choice.
"It was all about awareness. I think the week of every day, people talking about it, it got aired quite well. I think the awareness worked.
"It came back to the major sponsor, the space on the jersey, and everyone thought perhaps the job's been done, we'll just put the major sponsor back on and move on with that.
"That's effectively what happened."
The decision meant Fiji took the field with their standard 'Fiji Airways' branding across the front of their jerseys, as the national airline suffers due to a lack of tourism into the Pacific, Cotter explained.
"It was with the union, with the CEO and board, and the sponsor. So you can understand Fiji Airways is suffering a little bit because of COVID, and the fact there is no tourism, no activity for the airline.
"The players know that it's the major sponsor, and they're hurting. This seemed to be the fair way of representing that major sponsor.
Cotter also says that anti-vax rhetoric played a part in the decision, with some of the players not opting into wearing the message due to their own beliefs.
"I don't want to dodge the questions, but I can't answer for those [who aren't here].
"Obviously it wasn't unanimous, the whole thing - it's all about that choice.
"The main thing was the sponsor wanted that awareness. The message has got through.
"So it was a democratic process. I take my hat off to everybody, I think what everybody wanted was achieved."