Waisea Nayacalevu, a center for the Flying Fijians, has made shocking allegations regarding the internal operations of the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU). He revealed that the team nearly staged a boycott of their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match against England last year due to unmet financial commitments from the union.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Nayacalevu, who has over 40 caps for Fiji, spoke candidly about issues related to financial management and player welfare within the FRU. He described the pervasive corruption as a “virus” that needs to be eliminated for improvements to take place.
“This is something we have never said publicly, but it’s time to speak out,” Nayacalevu expressed. “We need to eradicate this longstanding issue.”
He recounted that prior to the England match, the players were threatened to walk out because they had not received promised bonuses. Nayacalevu arranged a Zoom call to discuss these financial commitments with the union, asserting that they would not participate unless payments were made.
Nayacalevu, who has represented Fiji for a decade, noted that this was not an isolated incident; players frequently faced delayed payments or only partial salaries. They ultimately agreed to play against England after being compensated just days before the game, a situation he felt distracted the team’s performance.
“I’ve played for Fiji for more than ten years, and it’s the same old story—players getting paid late or not at all,” he remarked. “We were finally paid right before the England match, which was cutting it too close and impacted our focus.”
The experienced athlete believes that with proper management, Fiji has the potential to win the World Cup. He stressed the need for professionalism within the organization, saying, “Without corruption and with qualified individuals in charge, Fiji could excel.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance against England, he felt a sense of frustration, stating, “We were building momentum, but there was interference at every breakdown. We were not playing to our full potential.”
As he approaches what may be his last year with the national team, Nayacalevu urged his teammates to advocate for themselves. He conveyed that the team should learn from these experiences and stand firm on issues affecting them in the future.
Nayacalevu recently missed the current Flying Fijians schedule due to club commitments but had previously led the team against the All Blacks. After spending a decade in Paris, he has relocated to Sale with his family.
RNZ Pacific has reached out to FRU leadership for commentary on Nayacalevu’s accusations. Previous reports indicated that the Fijiana women’s rugby team faced similar issues with delayed payments, a situation the FRU eventually acknowledged and resolved. This ongoing financial strain has prompted a review of the union’s practices, initiated by the interim board set up by the Fijian government and World Rugby last year.