Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed Government had done its part in paying the FIJI Water Flying Fijians team and rewarding the boys for their performance at the 2023 World Cup.
He said Government had sent money to FRU to pay the players who were planning to boycott a training session before their quarter-final match up against England.
“It is looking very bad,” he said of the claims made by former captain Waisea Nayacalevu.
“I had heard from the then interim administrator of the FRU that the boys were going to go on strike.
“I was not told that they might boycott the game.”
He said it was evident that the boys had not given their full commitment during the game.
“I was told that they would not be training but when I saw them playing I knew they had boycotted training or weren’t given it their full commitment and the result was expected but I told the interim administrator Simi Valenitabua to tell them to train, we will send the money out now.
“From Government side, not from the FRU side and also the promise we made about podium finishes we said yes.
“If they had a podium finish those were the money available for them and during the sports awards, they were given letters which told them that their money was in their banks.”
He said the issues revealed that there were still some “maladministration” happening within FRU, however, no longer had any say in its operations.
“When those things came to me I knew there were some maladministration continuing in Fiji Rugby Union. At the last meeting when they finally decided that Government will have no role in the running of FRU I said ‘OK that is their organisation they deal with it as they see fit’.”
He added Government’s only representative with FRU was Minister for Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru.
“From my side, the Government rep in FRU that is the Minister for Youth and Sports should have kept his thumb on the issue right through and should have been better informed than he was.”
