The Trustees Board of the Fiji Rugby Union has addressed the corruption allegations and concerns regarding delayed bonus payments made by former Flying Fijians Captain Waisea Nayacalevu. In their statement, the Trustees expressed disappointment over Nayacalevu’s comments made in a Daily Mail interview and highlighted the seriousness of the corruption claims against Fiji Rugby. They questioned whether Nayacalevu could specify any actual instances of corruption and challenged him to present evidence to support his allegations.
The Trustees noted that they assumed responsibility for Fiji Rugby in May 2023, just four months before the World Cup, and emphasized that their primary focus was securing funding to prepare the Flying Fijians for the tournament. They confirmed that an agreement was reached for each of the 33 squad members to receive a signing bonus of $30,000, along with a daily allowance of $500 for the period of July 16 to October 15, 2023.
Additionally, the Trustees mentioned that with governmental support, performance-based bonuses were set at $30,000 for a quarter-final win, $40,000 for a semi-final victory, and $50,000 for winning the final. These bonuses were directly linked to the team’s achievements during the World Cup.
The financial arrangements included all expenses related to the Flying Fijians’ training and participation in the tournament, such as travel costs, accommodation, meals, and training gear, all of which had been planned by Fiji Rugby, World Rugby, and the government.
While acknowledging some delays in payments to a few overseas players due to the verification of their bank details, the Trustees expressed their commitment to supporting the team. They recounted an incident three days before the quarter-final where the team manager called a Zoom meeting in which Nayacalevu and other players insisted on receiving their bonuses prior to the match, threatening not to play otherwise.
Recognizing the implications of such a boycott, the Trustees approached the Prime Minister for immediate assistance to fulfill the players’ demands. An assurance was provided that the quarter-final bonuses would be disbursed immediately following the match.
The Trustees emphasized that they could not allow a team boycott, particularly in a critical World Cup match, due to the potential repercussions, including exclusion from World Rugby events. They indicated that Nayacalevu and other senior players were aware of this context but chose to proceed with their demands regardless.
They confirmed that all promised payments, including the signing bonus and daily allowances, had been made, totaling approximately $105,000 for each player during the World Cup camp and tournament. The Trustees reiterated their commitment to enhancing support for future competitions and learning from past experiences to improve the management and performance of their teams.