Samoan rugby great, Daniel Leo, has stated the present saga plaguing the FRU is a dark reminder of a similar experience he had in 2014.
Leo, who played for London Irish in Premiership Rugby at the time, was a part of the Manu Samoa team when they faced financial setbacks in the lead up to their match against England at the Twickenham Stadium.
“We were looking for the Samoan Rugby Union to take collective responsibility for the amateur way that they engaged with the Manu Samoa players, all of whom were professionals,” Leo recalled.
He stated the players had to cater for the team’s expenses and no sporting equipment as well, all of which happened while the SRU did not allocate funds for the overseas trip.
“We paid for our own flights and were not recompensed, we had no rugby balls at training, and there seemed many SRU officials and family at the RWC matches for no obvious reason, presumably paid for by the donations.”
He added Samoa’s then prime minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi, in his capacity as chairman of the SRU, brushed off their claims, claiming they were “little brats.”
Meanwhile, he admired the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and the FRU for taking a serious approach to the allegations put forward by senior Flying Fijian players.
“The rancour and bad blood between the SRU and its players was never fixed and has remained an open sore ever since.”
