Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced that the government has fulfilled its responsibility by compensating the FIJI Water Flying Fijians team for their performance in the 2023 World Cup. He noted that funds were sent to the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) to ensure players were paid, especially after reports surfaced that they were considering boycotting a training session ahead of their quarter-final match against England.
Rabuka expressed concern over allegations made by former captain Waisea Nayacalevu, stating, “It is looking very bad.” He had received information from the interim administrator of the FRU regarding the players’ potential strike. However, he stated he was not informed of any plans to boycott the game itself.
He observed a lack of full commitment from the players during the match, saying, “I was told that they would not be training, but when I saw them play, I knew they had boycotted training or weren’t fully committed, and the result was expected.” Rabuka instructed the interim administrator Simi Valenitabua to encourage the players to train and assured that funds would be sent from the government immediately.
He emphasized that the government promised financial rewards for podium finishes and mentioned that players received notification that their payments were available in their banks during the sports awards.
Rabuka acknowledged ongoing issues within the FRU, indicating that some “maladministration” persisted, though he no longer had influence over the organization’s operations. “When those things came to me, I knew there were issues continuing in the Fiji Rugby Union. At the last meeting, they decided that the government would have no role in the FRU’s management, and I accepted that,” he said.
He mentioned that the government’s only link to the FRU resides with the Minister for Youth and Sports, Jese Saukuru. “From my perspective, the government representative in the FRU should have been more diligent and better informed throughout this process,” Rabuka concluded.