Flying Fijians captain Waisea Nayacalevu has called on match officials at the Rugby World Cup to be fair so that everyone is able to enjoy the game.
Speaking after the 30-24 loss against England yesterday, Nayacalevu said there were a number of questionable calls made against them in the close loss.
“I’m quite emotional at the moment. A lot’s been happening during the week. I’m just proud of the boys, they turned up today. I just ask that we can have a fair decision like every team has, so we can play rugby, so everyone can enjoy the game,” he said.
The national captain did not hold back his emotions.
“Yeah, I’ll be honest. I was frustrated with a few calls.
“They had already formed a ruck and then (Maro) Itoje just came in and grabbed onto the ball and there was no penalty there. Three times in the game.”
Meanwhile, coach Simon Raiwalui said this world cup was the dawn of a new era for Fijian rugby.
“This is a different Fiji team. I think it is just the start of something special. They wanted to create a new identity, I think they have done that,” Raiwalui said.
“A couple of mistakes today, didn’t take our chances and we paid for it. But like I said, couldn’t be prouder.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys. We’ve worked so hard from week one, 15 weeks now and they’ve shown where we belong on the world stage. The whole group, 33 players, 52 in total with the staff, it’s a bit of an emotional moment at the moment.”
