The International Rugby Board (IRB) is confident Fiji will have a "very good" team at the World Cup, despite the Government insisting its travel sanctions won't be relaxed.
Fiji is reported to be threatening to boycott the tournament, which starts in September, unless all its team members and officials are allowed into New Zealand.
The travel ban applies to members of Fiji's military and anyone associated with Commodore Frank Bainimarama's ruling regime -- and that covers some team members and the chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday said the Government would not relax travel sanctions to avoid potential problems with the tournament.
"We haven't changed our stance, which is that if someone is associated with the regime they will be subject to travel sanctions," he said.
IRB chief executive Mike Miller said the travel ban was clearly a sensitive issue, but he was confident it could be resolved.
"If people can talk quietly behind the scenes then often things which some people think can't be resolved, can be resolved. But talking about it in public really doesn't help," he told Radio New Zealand.
"I am confident that Fiji will come to Rugby World Cup, I am confident that all the matches will take place in New Zealand, and I am confident that Fiji will equip themselves very well in this Rugby World Cup.
"They've been playing very well and they will have a very good team in New Zealand."
Mr Miller said he would not make assumptions about whether Fiji would have to send a second-rate team to the tournament.
"We'll just have to wait and see what team turns up when the Rugby World Cup begins," he said.
Discussions with Foreign Minister Murray McCully, who is also the minister in charge of the tournament, would continue.
