Etu Tusitala, the former strength and conditioning coach for the Fiji national sevens team, is experiencing financial difficulties as the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has not yet paid his outstanding wages, which total $277,000. Tusitala signed a three-year contract in March 2022 while under the leadership of then-CEO John O’Connor, and was granted a work permit by the Immigration Department that is valid until March 2025. However, his contract was abruptly terminated, and he claims he is still owed a significant amount of money.
“I met with FRU CEO Rovereto Nayacalevu last week, and he assured me he would address the issue, but so far, there has been no communication or payment from them,” Tusitala stated. Attempts to reach the FRU for clarification regarding the delayed payments have gone unanswered, leaving Tusitala and others within the rugby community looking for explanations.