During the intense quarter-final match between the Flying Fijians and England at the Rugby World Cup from October 13 to 15, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka took a moment to assure Fiji’s rugby players by writing them a letter. He committed to awarding a bonus of $20,000 per player following their match against England at the Stade de Marseille on Sunday, October 15. This move came in light of the recent audit by I.Naiveli & Co Chartered Accountants, which determined that all player contract entitlements had been fully paid in compliance with the signed agreements. The audit cited banking regulatory processes and incorrect or incomplete bank details from the players as reasons for any delays in payment processing.
The audit report indicated that the players had previously requested the government bonus for their World Cup quarter-final qualification. A $10,000 bonus had been distributed in two payments of $5,000 each, with the first on September 8 and the second on October 13, 2023. On October 13, the players demanded that the full bonus be disbursed before their quarter-final game scheduled for October 16.
In response, the Prime Minister provided a written assurance on the same day that the government intended to pay the remaining $20,000 bonus as soon as possible after the quarter-final. The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) clarified that due to governmental processes, they initially paid the bonuses from their overdraft facility on October 23, with the government later reimbursing FRU on November 20, 2023.
The audit, which spanned from July 1 to October 15, 2023, involved a thorough review of various documents, including payment schedules, player contracts, and bank statements. It revealed a series of payments made to players over the specified timeframe. Players received a total gross amount of $113,500 for their time in training camps and on tours. However, out of 43 communication attempts made to the players to confirm their payment statuses, only 13 responses were received, indicating a level of uncertainty among the athletes regarding their finances.
Issues with bank payments were partly attributed to mid-tour changes in players’ bank account details and initial miscommunication from the players regarding their banking information. The FRU has since implemented measures to improve the accuracy of player-supplied account details and to expedite future payment processes.