Waisea Nayacalevu, captain of the Fiji Rugby Flying Fijians, has disclosed that their quarterfinal match against England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup nearly did not take place due to player dissatisfaction over unpaid bonuses and concerns about corruption within the Fiji Rugby Union.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the 34-year-old player, who recently signed with Sale Sharks, explained that the team was ready to boycott the match. Nayacalevu stated, “We need to cut off this virus that has always been there,” referring to ongoing corruption issues within the Fiji rugby structure. He emphasized that players felt misled after being promised bonuses that were never fulfilled.
While in Marseille, Nayacalevu took the initiative to organize a presentation via Zoom to discuss the unfulfilled commitments from the union. He conveyed to the union a strict deadline for payment, stating, “If you don’t pay by this day, nobody is going to play this quarter-final.”
This was not the first instance of the Fiji Rugby Union failing to meet obligations, as confirmed by Nayacalevu, who, along with senior squad members like Semi Radradra and Levani Botia, decided they could not overlook the issue this time.
Nayacalevu noted that the ongoing disputes with the union distracted the team during their historic push toward the semi-finals. He has represented Fiji for over a decade and expressed frustration over the repeated issues of delayed or incomplete payments to players. The team finally received payment just before the England match, creating additional concern about focus.
Despite their previous victory against England at Twickenham, Fiji lost to England 30-24 in the quarterfinals due to crucial late-game points from George Ford and Owen Farrell. Nayacalevu indicated that this year could have been his last in international rugby, motivating him to advocate fiercely for his teammates.
He has played for Fiji this year, including against the All Blacks, and hopes that future generations of players will confront corruption. “I told the team, ‘Boys, when I’m gone from here I hope you guys learn from this…,’” he remarked, urging them to challenge the status quo in Fiji Rugby.
Nayacalevu has predominantly played in France throughout his career with clubs like Stade Francais and Toulon, and he recently transitioned to Sale Sharks, where he is set to fill the position left by Manu Tuilagi.
The Fiji Rugby Union has been contacted for a comment regarding Nayacalevu’s statements.