Approximately $3.5 million was distributed to the 33-member Flying Fijians squad for their participation in last year’s Rugby World Cup in France. This information was disclosed by the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) in response to allegations made by former national captain Waisea Nayacalevu against the organization.
Nayacalevu expressed to Daily Mail that the players considered boycotting their quarter-final match against England due to issues surrounding unpaid bonuses and allegations of corruption within the Fijian Rugby Union. “We weren’t going to play. We need to cut off this virus that has always been there,” Nayacalevu stated.
He detailed that while staying in Marseille, he organized a Zoom call to discuss the promises made to the team. He emphasized that if the payments were not made by a certain date, no one would participate in the quarter-final against England.
Nayacalevu claimed this was not the first time the FRU failed to meet its commitments to players, noting that he and several senior teammates, including Semi Radradra and Levani Botia, were tired of the ongoing issues. He remarked, “It’s not the first time… boys getting half-paid, boys not getting paid for weeks.” According to him, payments were made just days before the crucial match, which impacted their focus.
Nayacalevu expressed hope that future Flying Fijians would be more vigilant in addressing corruption. He encouraged the team to stand firm in the face of future issues when he is no longer present.
In response to the claims, the FRU clarified that each player was provided a sign-on fee of $30,000, accompanied by an allowance of $500 per day during the team’s preparation for the World Cup. Additional bonuses offered by the government included $30,000 for a quarter-final victory and higher amounts for advancing further, based on the team’s performance.
The FRU detailed that all expenses for the team’s preparation and participation were budgeted and covered by both Fiji Rugby and World Rugby. They addressed delays in payments to some overseas players due to the need to verify bank details.
Just days prior to the quarter-final, the captain convened a Zoom meeting demanding bonus payments, posing a potential threat to boycott the match unless fulfilled. This led the FRU to seek governmental assistance to provide the bonuses sooner than originally planned.
The FRU confirmed that the promised bonuses were indeed paid, along with the sign-on fees and daily allowances, resulting in each player receiving around $105,000 during the rugby camp and World Cup. The Trustees expressed concern over Nayacalevu’s serious allegations of corruption and called for clarification on any specific instances he might reference.