“FRU Responds to Corruption Allegations and Bonus Dispute with World Cup Squad”
The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) board of trustees issued a detailed response following comments made by 2023 Rugby World Cup captain Waisea Nayacalevu in an interview with the Daily Mail and additional remarks shared through FBC News and social media.
The statement emphasized that player welfare is the FRU’s top priority, and the organization is taking the allegations seriously. To ensure transparency, they engaged Naiveli and Co chartered accountants to conduct a thorough investigation into the payment of World Cup bonuses, sign-on fees, and daily allowances.
Peter Mazey, FRU chairman, stated: “We have urged all players making corruption claims to provide evidence, which we are ready to forward to the Police or FICAC for further investigation. So far, no player has come forward with proof, suggesting the accusations may be baseless.”
Mazey also addressed the controversy surrounding bonuses, explaining that the team had “unfortunately” overlooked the Prime Minister’s message during his visit to Taveuni in July 2023. The Prime Minister had publicly stated that bonuses would be paid at the end of the World Cup, following the precedent set by Fiji’s Olympic rugby sevens teams.
He further noted that, despite the team’s threat to boycott the quarter-finals unless bonuses were paid before their match against England, the government had already disbursed partial payments—$5,000 on September 8 and another $5,000 on October 13, 2023.