Page 29 - IB JAN 2017

Sports
Saint of Fiji 7s rugby

‘ ... To get the best out

of our Fijian players
you need to be able

to connect with

them on a personal

level and collectively
as a team and Ben

did that very well ... ‘
Nacanieli Cawanibuka ... Ben’s right-hand man. Legends ... Waisale Serevi with Ben.
Photo: Invictus Photo: File

but didn’t really understand what he was and had a few ideas of his own when he Ironically, the FRU chair Filimoni
going to be up against: a cash-strapped, was coach of the national team. But they Waqabaca who signed the deal with the
government-controlled rugby union. were quickly suppressed by the FRU, Vodafone Fiji led consortium said “the
forcing him to migrate to the United FRU has the right to choose the spon-
Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) Woes States where he now runs his own suc- sor that will best meet the needs of the
Despite Fiji 7s past successes in the cessful sports brand. players and public interest”.
World Series, before Ryan arrived, and Instead, the FRU confines itself to local Ryan disagrees with this and wants
World Cups, which Fiji and New Zealand sponsors that are government owned the FRU to come clean with the way it’s
are tied with two wins each, the FRU and controlled in the likes of Vodafone been handling the welfare of the sevens
has not been able to successfully mar- Fiji and Fiji Airways, who don’t have players who now have attained Olympic
ket the Fiji 7s brand to attract sponsors much capital outlay and whose contribu- champions status.
to pay its players well and secure long tions are more in kind than actual cash. The FRU only started contracting its
term financial sustainability. It’s heavily This was revealed in February 2014 sevens players from December 2014
reliant on income from the government under a new sponsorship headed by a on salary scales between $15,000 to
through grants given by the National Vodafone Fiji consortium that pledged $20,000. Players are not paid for each
Sports Commission, supplemented by $40 million over five years to the FRU. appearance on the World Series, apart
what World Rugby gives ($2.2million a The $3.6 million cash component is to from a meagre $50 daily allowance, but
year) that pays for most of the admin- be shared with the national 15s team’s get bonus payments if the team finishes
istration expenses. program that includes overseas tours. in the top three of a tournament.
Over the years, the FRU has failed to The six companies that make up this Since Fiji won back to back series titles
capitalise on the marketing opportunities group are Vodafone Fiji, Fiji Airways, in 2014 and 2015, bonus payments for
the World Series offers with tournaments CJ Patel Ltd, Home Finance Company, the two years totalled around $12,000
played over six months in ten countries Telecom Fiji, and Fijian Holdings Lim- per player. After the gold medal win
covering all the continents except South ited. Four of the companies are fully in Rio, the players received $20,000
America. controlled by the government, while the each in bonus payments on top of their
Fiji has produced excellent sevens other two has some indirect influence. contracts.
players the world absolutely adores, but On the eve of this deal, the FRU Compare that with New Zealand who
were shunned by the FRU. reneged on its contractual obligations started paying its contracted players for
One classic example is Waisele Serevi, with Digicel who had been sponsoring the Rio Games at the start of 2013.
regarded a “maestro” and probably the Fiji 7s since 2006. Digicel was paying The salary range is between NZ$70,000
best sevens player ever who captained better team bonuses ($67,000 against (FJ$103,000) and NZ$120,000
Fiji to a few World Series titles, includ- Vodafone’s $20,000) and offered $7 (FJ$176,000).
ing two World Cups. Serevi, like Ryan, million more in cash for the five-year
knows the potential of the Fiji 7s brand sponsorship deal that went to Vodafone. n Continued overleaf

Islands Business January 2017 29