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 canceled due to players’ dissatisfaction with unpaid bonuses and allegations of corruption within the Fiji Rugby Union. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the 34-year-old Serua native, who recently signed a new contract with the Sale Sharks, revealed that the players had threatened to boycott the match.
Nayacalevu stated, “We need to cut off this virus that has always been there. There’s corruption in the Fiji rugby house. We weren’t going to play the match against England; we were going to walk out. They promised us things, and we didn’t receive them. We were promised a bonus.”
He explained that while the team was in Marseille, he organized a presentation via Zoom to address the unfulfilled promises from the union. They set a deadline for payment, stating, “If you don’t pay by this day, nobody is going to play this quarter-final.”
This issue is not a new one for the players, as Nayacalevu mentioned that such empty promises have occurred before. However, he and a few senior teammates, including Semi Radradra, Levani Botia, Albert Tuisue, and Eroni Mawi, chose to take a stand this time. The ongoing struggle with the rugby union added a level of distraction for the team as they aimed to reach the semifinals for the first time in their history.
Nayacalevu expressed his frustration, highlighting that players have faced issues with pay, noting, “I’ve played for Fiji for more than 10 years, and it’s the same thing over and over again. We were paid on the Thursday before the England match. It was close. It distracted our focus.”
Despite the turmoil, Nayacalevu remains hopeful about Fiji’s potential to win the World Cup, referring back to their mindset the previous year. After their victory over England at Twickenham, they were unable to replicate that success in France, ultimately losing 30-24, with crucial points scored by George Ford and Owen Farrell in the closing minutes.
He also reflected on his own international career, suggesting that 2023 could have been his last year representing Fiji, which motivated him to fight harder for himself and his teammates. Though he has continued to play for Fiji, including facing the All Blacks, Nayacalevu hopes future generations will uphold the fight against corruption in the sport.
He remarked, “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 balls to put it in their face.’ If we didn’t have corruption, if we had professional people in charge, then Fiji would be better. It’s not fair, but you have to go in there and fix it.”
Having spent a significant part of his club career in France, Nayacalevu recently joined Sale Sharks in an effort to fill the gap left by Manu Tuilagi. The Fiji Rugby Union has been approached for a comment regarding Nayacalevu’s assertions.