In a statement, Touch Federation Fiji said Shuker, who has won numerous Touch World Cups with Australia, had "kept the Fiji touch dream alive for the Pacific Games" by bridging their levy shortfall and providing other vital support worth more than AUS$60,000 (£31,300/$38,000/€36,000).

Touch Rugby Fiji President Tevita Mau said Shuker had sponsored three athletes who are part of the national side to be with him in Rockhampton, the current centre of touch rugby in Australia, and to learn the technical aspects of the game.

"We are also grateful that he has paid the sports levies together with providing some funds for them when they got home," Mau added.

"The assistance from Gavin surpasses AUS$60,000 and the sport of touch in Fiji is so grateful to him and his family for blessing the sport at such a time as this."

Tevita said his organisation had been struggling to pull together the necessary resources to enable the National Federation to send a full team to take part in the men’s, women’s and mixed events.

"Like most sports we do not have long-term sponsors and most of our athletes are tertiary students or unemployed, but Gavin has opened up a pathway for our athletes to not only be employed but to learn more about the sport from some of the sport's best in Australia," he said.

Tevita added that, together with Touch Federation Fiji, Shuker was now looking at purchasing land of around 10 to 15 acres to build a property and touch fields to assist in the development of the sport in Fiji.

"It is our prayer Gavin and his family will continue to be blessed for such generosity and we at Touch Federation Fiji will continue to work with him in developing Fiji to be a force in the touch world," he said.

Tevita said Shuker was also one of the technical experts secured via Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funding who are assisting in the preparation of the touch rugby team to the Pacific Games.

Team Fiji Touch Rugby will hope to emulate its performance from the 2003 Pacific Games, when it won the men’s and mixed events.

In the last Pacific Games four years ago Fiji had to settle for bronze in the men’s and women’s competitions.

Touch rugby is scheduled to be played on the second week of this year's Pacific Games at DC Park in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara.

Touch rugby is an optional sport introduced at the 2003 Pacific Games, which were held at Suva in Fiji.

The 2023 Pacific Games is due to take place in Honiara from November 19 to December 2.