“Once you have a genuine sense of concern for others, there’s no room for cheating, bullying or exploitation”- Dalai Lama.
With the increasing participation of Pacific Islanders in the World of Rugby, the whole world itself begins to realise the huge amount of unexplored talent that remains hidden and unexposed to the hustle and bustle of international rugby stardom.
Teams from all across the globe have witnessed first-hand the raw power and talent displayed by Pacific Island rugby players and this has left a rather unfavourable target on the Pacific Islands.
The high-octane performance of these players have attracted lucrative contracts and also the respect and interests of powerhouses of the rugby world.
On the downside, it has also attracted the eye of some very unscrupulous and unfavourable characters, who seemed to have been licking their lips on the opportunities presented to them by these new revelations.
This has resulted in the targeting of young, local, vulnerable players who are given scraps that are sugar coated with a promise for a better life.
These opportunistic people would then take advantage of these young players financial constraints and desperate situations, in order to lure them in signing dodgy contracts that have nothing to do with safeguarding the players’ welfare and future in the game, but rather for their own benefits.
Former Rio gold medal winning Fiji 7s coach Ratu Peni Raiyani Latianara Ryan (Benjamin Ryan) along with former Argentine skipper and rugby legend Augustine Pichot have been at the forefront in the struggle to ensure that the rights and welfare of these exploited players are recognised and safeguarded.
Their efforts have been complimented and strongly supported by the International Rugby Players Association (IRPA) chief executive officer Rob Nichol.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald in 2015, Nichol referred to those predators as “despicable individuals.”
“The islanders are being preyed upon, absolutely and there are some despicable individuals who capitalise on their desperation to make a better life for themselves and their families,” Nichol told NZ Herald.
Former players raise their concern for the need of intervention and family understanding:
The exploitation problem has become so apparent it has somewhat led to players not only from Fiji but from Samoa and Tonga as well falling prey to deceitful, self-centred schemes of some very selfish individuals.
An article in The Telegraph titled “Revealed: How Pacific Island Players Welfare is being neglected in rugby’s gold rush,” referred to these sorts of situations faced by Pacific Island players as “a distressing combination of cultural pressure and ruthless exploitation.
Former Flying Fijian skipper Seremaia Bai during an interview was very vocal of the need for players to be educated in the basic aspects of financial literacy and other basic information that would help them when being exposed to a new environment.
“When they are educated in these sorts of basic information, it equips them in a sense that they are aware of what to expect and also minimises the chances of them losing their way once they are overseas,” Bai said.
Last year, he described to The Telegraph how a young man growing up in the islands would react when approached by deceiving agents.
“At times our mind-set in the islands is that you cannot say no,” Bai said. “The alternative is unemployment so if you don’t sign they think ‘I missed this great opportunity’. So when an agent comes along and gives them a piece of paper, they just sign without reading. For them it is their way out of the islands. Just get out of here.”
It is because of their desperation that they are vulnerable, some would put it.
But according to Bai, “when players hear of $1000 or $2000 a month straightaway they start converting how much they would be getting in Fijian dollars which would be double that amount.
He said in most cases, they failed to consider the cost of living, the taxes, bills and all the other necessary expenses that had to be made while in the country they are being contracted to.
“Once the necessary deductions have been made, and then reality sinks in that they will not be left with much to live on, let alone send home to their families.
“So the stress builds up and later the game they once thought to be fun and the love of the game they once had just all goes out the window.
He said this in turn would affect their performance on the field and it would later develop a depressing atmosphere around them.
In addition, he said, just imagine being broke and alone and living more than 1000 miles away from home, in a foreign country with its foreign language and culture, no family —— one could only imagine the level of depression one could bear.
“This is why senior players playing in top competitions have taken up the responsibilities to look after their fellow Pacific Islander brothers.
He also highlighted that family played a vital role whether it be to the players’ downfall by pressuring them (player) for financial assistance when there was nothing left for them to give, or they could support them by encouraging these players with daily prayers and words of encouragement.
Government Minister calls for action:
Sports Minister Laisenia Tuitubou had earlier stated that legislation should be in place to prevent the problem from taking place.
“The welfare of players is very important because right now anybody left, right, and center can take any of our players and dump them in one of the third or fourth division grade overseas,” Tuitubou said.
“They sign a different contract and when they arrive abroad they see that it was a different thing altogether,” he said.
On the same breath, Ministry of Youth and Sports permanent secretary Allison Burchell said, there were various steps that needed to be looked at in regards to players being contracted to play overseas.
“The first step is we have the employment regulations and promulgations which ensure that legally any person signing a contract going to play in overseas in this particular instance, that contract should be shown at the very least to the Ministry of Employment before it is signed,” Burchell said.
She said that was the first issue and she suspected that this had not been happening.
“Secondly, it’s an issue of the players’ right to sign a contract to go wherever they like, it is in many instances also a responsibility for someone to look at the full implications for signing a particular contract.
“I have had discussions with the two federations in recent weeks, the Fiji Rugby Union and the Fiji National Rugby League are also available to help any player before they sign a contract to take them through the implications of that contract.
“The other aspect is that, many international federations have regulations in place like the transfer system that exists in football (soccer) where a player going from country A, needs to get from federation A, a release letter and from federation B where they are going, to get a letter confirming that they are going to be treated correctly and that the contract is a real contract.”
She said it seemed that there are no systems of this sort, running within our sports system at the moment.
“So again it’s the responsibility of national sports federations that those sorts of system operate properly in the best interests of the players.”
Also she urged players to look closely at the implications of the contracts that is being offered and presented to them before they signed anything.
Labour Minister Jone Usamate said they had the legislations that required employment agencies to register with them.
“We have not really thought about its impacts on rugby and sports in general. I will discuss with my staff and possibly have some discussion with the FRU and the FNRL on how we can address this issue,” Usamate said.
FASANOC urges Fiji Rugby Union to sort out administration problems:
Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee CEO Lorraine Mar said it was an administration problem that FRU needed to sort out for them-selves.
“We don’t get involved in the administration and management of our national federations so really while we feel for these players I think it’s a problem that the rugby union needs to sort out,” Mar said.
Then she said that players also had the responsibility to seek advice before they undertook these contracts.
“I’m sure if they went to the FRU before they signed any of these contracts they would be able to get some good advice but really it is an issue that needs to be sorted out by the FRU,” she said.
FRU and FNRL urge players to consult with them before finalising any contract:
FRU chairman Commander Francis Kean said players needed to seek advice first before formally committing themselves to contracts offered by international agents.
“This is particularly with parents, unions and clubs who have encountered difficulties dealing with overseas agents and academies,” Kean said.
He said the FRU had drafted a policy paper which had been submitted to the Sports Ministry for Government to action.
He said the union had been working with the sports and education ministries to solve the issue.
“My advice to all players is that before you put pen to paper, come to the FRU and talk to the CEO John O’Connor. Let him have a look at your contract and let him give you the advice that will come from someone who is fully conversant with World Rugby regulations.”
FNRL chief executive officer Timoci Naleba said the problem had been affecting rugby league in Fiji for some time over that past years
“Most of it can borrow on to human trafficking meaning that these agents are not registered agents with the Ministry of Labour and do not comply with our legal authorities,” Naleba said.
“We will be writing to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Labour telling them which agents we have approved to work with FNRL.”
