Former Flying Fijians captain Koli Rakoroi has revealed that the ongoing issue of unpaid or delayed player allowances has been a long-standing problem within Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), dating back to the 1980s.
Rakoroi, who captained Fiji in the 1987 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and the first Fijian team to reach the quarter-final, has called for a serious restructure of the FRU, urging both the current and past boards to take responsibility and be transparent about the situation.
Reflecting on his own experience, Rakoroi shared how financial struggles were also prevalent during his time as a player.
“We experienced the same allowance issue in 1986. We were receiving $25 a day and the FRU board at that time promised to double it, which they did not fulfil so we walked out of the stadium.
In a significant moment, Rakoroi revealed the team almost boycotted the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) final against Samoa because of the unfulfilled promises of the FRU board.
“We walked out of the stadium minutes before the final because the board hadn’t kept their word,” he said.
“It was only when they agreed to pay us that we went back and played, and we won.”
Following that incident, the players were compensated with a $50 daily allowance, but Rakoroi said it was pride and passion for representing Fiji which drove them more than the money.
The team famously advanced to the quarter-final of the 1987 Rugby World Cup after defeating Argentina 28-9 and Italy 18-15.
“This issue of player allowances has persisted from the 1980s until now,” Rakoroi said.
“Anyone who takes up a leadership role at FRU, always seems to deliver negative results. This is a serious issue that needs immediate attention.”
The former number eight raised concerns about the misuse of the FRU emblem.
“The FRU logo is the property of Fiji Rugby Union, but we are seeing businesses, whether Fijian, Indian, or Chinese printing the logo on their products for their own profit. The question is, does FRU benefit from this?” he asked.
“Anyone wanting to use the Fiji Rugby logo should be licensed. FRU must protect its brand.”
Looking ahead, Rakoroi believes that Fiji can reach Tier 1 status in world rugby, but only if the right leadership is in place.
“We need people who understand rugby, to run every department within the FRU,” he concluded.
