The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) confirmed that approximately $3.5 million was distributed among the 33-member Flying Fijians squad for their participation in last year’s World Cup held in France. The announcement came in response to serious allegations made by former national captain Waisea Nayacalevu, who claimed players considered boycotting their quarter-final match against England due to unpaid bonuses and corrupt practices within the FRU.
In an interview with Daily Mail, Nayacalevu stated, “We weren’t going to play. We need to cut off this virus that has always been there.” He expressed frustration over the promises made by the FRU that went unfulfilled, stating, “We were promised a bonus,” and highlighted that the situation was not an isolated incident, having experienced similar issues during his over ten-year career with the national team.
Nayacalevu mentioned organizing a Zoom meeting while the team was in Marseille, where players communicated their demands for payment, indicating they were prepared to withdraw from the match if conditions were not met. He stressed that previous instances of inadequate payments contributed to a distracting atmosphere leading up to the game.
In defense, the FRU detailed that every squad member was allocated a sign-on fee of $30,000 and a daily allowance of $500 from July 16 to October 15, 2023. The government had also offered bonuses contingent on the team’s progression in the tournament. While some delays in payments were attributed to verifying bank details for overseas players, the FRU assured that all expenses related to World Cup preparations were covered, including travel, accommodations, meals, and insurance for the players.
The union noted that three days prior to the quarter-final, Nayacalevu and team members articulated their demands for bonus payments, prompting the FRU to seek expedited financial assistance from the Prime Minister to ensure the team was compensated before the match. “We could not risk a boycott” at such a critical juncture, stated the FRU, emphasizing that the total received by each player, including sign-on fees and allowances, amounted to roughly $105,000.
The FRU expressed concern over Nayacalevu’s allegations of corruption and called on him to provide specific instances to substantiate his claims.