Fiji Water Flying Fijians Captain Waisea Nayacalevu has disclosed that their quarterfinal match against England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France was nearly boycotted due to player dissatisfaction over unpaid bonuses and issues of corruption within the Fiji Rugby Union.
In a detailed interview, the 34-year-old Nayacalevu, who recently signed with Sale Sharks, revealed that the players were ready to withdraw from the match. “We need to cut off this virus that has always been there,” he stated, expressing concerns over corruption within the rugby administration in Fiji.
He explained that players had not received promised bonuses, leading them to seriously consider not participating in the England match. Nayacalevu organized a Zoom call to discuss these issues with the union, giving a deadline to resolve the payment matter. “If you don’t pay by this day, nobody is going to play this quarter-final,” he remarked.
Nayacalevu pointed out that this was not the first instance of the union failing to meet commitments, with several senior players—including Semi Radradra, Levani Botia, Albert Tuisue, and Eroni Mawi—unwilling to let the matter pass without resolution this time.
The ongoing conflict with the Fijian Rugby Union has been a distraction for the team, which aspired to make history by reaching the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. “I’ve played for Fiji for more than 10 years and it’s the same thing over and over again,” he said. He added that players were often underpaid and that payments were received only right before the England match, which detracted from their focus.
Despite the challenges, Nayacalevu maintained that Fiji had the potential to win the World Cup. Following their loss to England, he expressed disappointment in the match’s outcome, noting that the team struggled to execute their plays due to obstruction.
Fiji achieved a notable win over England at Twickenham before the World Cup but fell short in France, losing 30-24 after a late drop goal and penalty from George Ford and Owen Farrell, respectively. Nayacalevu mentioned that 2023 could have been his last year in international rugby, motivating him to fight harder for himself and his teammates.
Although he played against the All Blacks recently, he hopes younger players will continue to confront corruption in the union. “I told the team, ‘Boys, when I’m gone from here I hope you guys learn from this… when things happen in the future I hope you have the courage to address it,’” he urged. He emphasized the need for professional conduct within the Fiji Rugby Union for the benefit of the team.
Nayacalevu has a history of playing in France, previously with Stade Francais and Toulon, and is now filling in the role vacated by Manu Tuilagi at Sale Sharks. The Fiji Rugby Union has been approached for a comment regarding Nayacalevu’s allegations.