Sam Matavesi has called for “serious change” from the Fijian Rugby Union after players threatened to boycott the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against England.The seasoned hooker has remained eligible for selection for the national team ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, but has joined the cry for change.
This comes after Fiji’s captain at the tournament, Waisea Nayacalevu, stated that the World Cup quarter-final match against England nearly didn’t happen because players threatened to protest over unpaid incentives and corruption.
World Cup strike danger “There is corruption at the Fiji Rugby House. We were not going to play against England; we were going to walk out. They promised us things, but we didn’t get them. “We were promised a bonus,” Nayacalevu told The Daily Mail.
“We were vacationing in Marseille, and I organized everything, including a presentation and a Zoom conference, to discuss what they had promised us. We set them a deadline and said, ‘If you don’t pay by this date, nobody will play in the quarterfinals.'”
Fiji captain: We ‘weren’t going to play’ the World Cup quarterfinal versus England.
Since Nayacalevu disclosed that there was a threat of a strike, his teammate Levani Botia has backed up his statements, stating that he and older players in the club needed to maintain pressing players to focus on the games rather than their wages.
“We kept pushing the players to play because this is something we talk about is that we have to play and not worry about the money, they (FRU) will do their job and we trusted them to do their job so some of the boys did not receive their payment and some of the boys do not have their bonus,” according to FBC Sports.
It further stated that Nayacalevu is eager to reveal evidence of corruption inside the Fijian Rugby Union. Matavesi’s Call Meanwhile, Matavesi has joined the call for reform following what he characterized as a ‘crazy matter’ during the competition.
Fiji had reached the World Cup knockout stages for the first time since 2007, and the off-field commotion distracted them from their goal of defeating England once more – having done so in the build-up to the competition at Twickenham.
“It’s a crazy matter,” Matavesi told AFP. “Going forward, I believe there needs to be significant reform on the Fiji rugby board. “Everyone must be pulling in the right direction.
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