Page 17 - IB FEB 2018

Sports

bid because it would have a negative effect Responding to FRU’s reaction to his the team, so would
on the success of the sevens team on the post.: Ryan said: “I have no hidden a good RWC 2019
world stage itself. agenda and do not make up the figures I campaign, a super
He said it was a waste of money and have quoted. I wrote that piece in the best rugby franchise and
he had serious doubts about the viability interest of Fiji and to make people aware many other things
of a regular tournament being held in the of the facts in regard to the bid. There is a that do not cost this
country. lot more I could have said.” amount of money.”
“The overseas consultants asked for a Ryan said Fiji players are still the lowest Ryan said Fiji’s
budget of F$1m (US$499,000) just to put paid in the Top 10 sevens teams in the Ben Ryan... no-nonsense success at the Olym-
together the bid. That’s hugely excessive series “by a long way and none are given coach pics led the coun-
and a massive waste of money. What are the security of a contract longer than a try to being the top
they spending it all on? season,” he said. search on Google for a while.
“The bid should cost F$0 to put together “Top players in the Fiji 7s squad get “I know hotel bookings etc all went up
as it’s a process that can be done using FJ$15k (US$ 7,488) maximum as a salary. as a result. You don’t need a tournament
FRU staff and their internal resources. This is the equivalent of over three years costing millions to do that,” he said.
“No other bidder for a leg is spending salaries for the entire men’s and women’s Ryan said tournaments such as the
anywhere near that amount. Why are sevens squad that this massively over Coral Coast Sevens, which had three
they wasting money with radio adverts? inflated bid is costing.” international women’s teams and mixed
How has this been allowed? Wool is being He called on the FRU to first sort out the international men’s teams showed the
pulled over someone’s eyes, that’s for sure. men’s and women’s teams and its other passion the country had for the sport and
It’s wastefulness of the highest degree.” priorities. argured well for Fiji’s intention.
Ryan, who left Fiji after guiding it to its “There are far bigger priority for sustain- Launching the bid earlier last month,
first Olympic win and now works for the ing 7s success. So is coach development FRU chief executive officer John O’Connor
Welsh Rugby Union as a consultant said on the island. So is player development said the taskforce needed the support of
the tournament would cost a huge amount programmes. So is referee development all Fijians. “We want World Rugby to see
of money to run and not make a profit. programmes. Better talent ID programmes. the passion of our people, the support of
“ Taxpayers’ money will have to support The list goes on.” our country and the unique Fijian way. We
this. The consultants involved were also Ryan said the bid would be a huge believe that we can mount a credible pro-
part of the Fiji golf tournament, which drain on finances, which will mean cuts fessional bid which addresses the needs
lost around F$12m (US$5.9m) a year,” elsewhere in programmes. of modern tournaments,” he said.
he said. “It might do the opposite to the Fiji 7s “We have the facilities, we have the
“If it was a company it would have gone team and lead to less funding which could hotels, we have the infrastructure, we
bust. Again, taxpayers’ money. HK and lead to less success on the field. have the air connections, we have the
Dubai (Dubai due to the other tourna- “For more success on the playing fields communications infrastructure and we
ments run alongside the series leg) are the for all the Fijian teams - that’s where any are committed to using the next two years
exceptions to this but all the other tourna- additional finances should go - not to the to make any infrastructure improvements
ments - a huge percentage of those in the bid consultants and tournaments that are that we need to make. We have the players
stadiums are from that country hosting it.” not financially profitable.” and we have the will.”
The FRU rejected the figures quoted by He said the money would be better spent O’Connor said the FRU had the sup-
Ryan, saying they were exaggerated. It funding a Super Rugby franchise. port of the government to showcase the
said costs associated with the promotion “It will mean regular visitors to matches, country “to an international audience and
of the bid on local television and radio sta- not just a fraction of this once a year. attracting tourism and investment.”
tions were met by those stations at no cost “It will mean homegrown players stay- “We have a corporate sector who are
to the FRU in support of the bid. ing on the island and not going overseas marketing themselves to a global audi-
Ryan said that despite all the FRU because there is a professional team in ence but most importantly we have the
campaign stated, “tourism won’t get a Fiji.” people who are passionate for rugby and
huge spike from this and you can’t charge Ryan said this would be a huge boost more importantly for the 7s game and our
overseas ticket prices if you want to get a to the local economy throughout the year. 7s teams.”
good crowd.” “There will be Super Rugby franchise World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee
“I am no longer a taxpayer but if I academies to develop players, local coach- Waisale Serevi, who was invited with
was, I’d want to know if the plan es, medical staff, managers, conditioners Ryan and former New Zealand 7s captain
to finance this was through etc. More contact time possible for the DJ Forbes to the Coral Coast Sevens said
government funding. I national players, which would lead to more he was rallying for global support for
don’t want to get into the social success for the 15s team. Merchandise and Fiji’s bid.
morality side of this but in my three years sponsorship possibilities. I could keep go- Ryan said he shared FRU’s dream to
living and working on the island, I saw ing. Now that is more exciting. That is a having a leg of the world series in Fiji one
how a small amount of resource can go a good use of this amount of money. I know day. “A leg that is profitable. That’s not
long way to improve a person’s standard what I’d rather see and what will make a now and there are many other priorities
of life in the villages and towns of Fiji,” bigger difference to Fijian rugby.” before that. Some more transparency in all
he said. Ryan said having high-profile events in of this is needed.
“This sort of money would make a huge Fiji like the world series would increase The HSBC world series is played in 10
difference if spent correctly.” the profile of the country “but so does cities – Dubai, Cape Town, Sydney, Ham-

Islands Business, February 2018 17