A PAYMENT reconciliation document issued by the Fiji Sports Council to the Fiji Rugby Union showed that $21,957.51 in gate loss from a Pacific Nations Cup match was deducted from the total amount of ticket sales from the Skipper Cup final.
The total ticket sales of the Skipper Cup final generated $84,575 from which the FSC deducted its shares from.
The $21,957.51 was the amount of gate loss the FRU incurred during the Pacific Nations Cup clash between the Flying Fijians and Tonga back in August.
It raised the question as to why a domestic competition is being used to cover for losses made in a completely separate competition.
When questioned, FRU chief executive officer Koli Sewabu said they have contacted the FSC to bill them separately for the gate loss.
“We noticed it when we got the financial details from the Fiji Sports Council. We immediately called them and we told them that it shouldn’t be part of the things they take off in the gate takings because it is separate.
“So, they have taken that away. They’ve billed us separately. That whole amount is going back to the gate shares,” he said in an interview with this newspaper.
Sewabu said that they were initially not aware of the PNC gate loss being included in the payment reconciliation.
“We weren’t aware until the documentation came through so we immediately made phone calls to the Fiji Sports Council and made sure that it is removed from there but bill us separately. Its part of the national team and not the domestic competition.”
The document showed that the FSC was to receive their share of $46,653.74 while the FRU’s share was $37,921.26.
