Fijiana 15 team at training in Suva. Photo: Fiji Rugby Union
The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has to find $FJ172,000 to pay Fijiana players who are overdue allowances, because funding earmarked for them has been channelled into keeping the union afloat.
FRU Trustees Board chairman Peter Mazey told RNZ Pacific on Tuesday the national rugby union has a near $FJ3.5 million (about $US1.7m) debt.
Funds have been used to keep a bank overdraft that ensures the union is able to operate and keep its programmes running.
Mazey also confirmed the FRU's financial report for 2022 is being audited thoroughly again, following the discovery of the huge debt.
"When we came in, we knew, because we'd seen the annual report as at December last year, which the initial audited report showing a debt of about $1.7 million. When we came in and went through everything, we discovered that debt was in fact a lot higher," Mazey said.
"And so currently the auditors are re-looking at the audit report and right at the moment we have identified $3.5 million of debt."
Listen to interview with Peter Mazey on Pacific Waves
Mazey said the new FRU Trustees Board met on Monday in Suva and have agreed to pay the players their dues.
But he revealed funds will have to be found from other sources.
"We went through all of the girls' main financial concerns and found outstanding allowances for the World Cup last year. We also found that the monies were owed as well for the Oceania tournament," Mazey said.
"So in total, we have agreed, and the trustees passed the motion, that we have to pay the players $172,600 in outstanding [costs]. Now, the arrangement on paying off that is going to take a little while longer; we've got to find that funding.
"But apart from that we have arranged to have meetings with the girls over it. And we are hopeful of clearing it very quickly."
The trustees hope to meet the Fijiana players when captain Sereima Leweniqila returns to Fiji next week from Australia.
Peter Mazey Photo: Supplied
Players kicked up a fuss
Mazey's revelation comes after members of the Fijiana rugby team, Fiji's national women's team, revealed last week they had not been paid allowances due to them for competing in the World Rugby Oceania Championship last month and the 2021 Rugby World Cup last October.
Members of the Fijiana team are still owed $600 each from the World Cup and $200 each from the Oceania meet.
Fijiana captain Leweniqila first raised the issue in a Facebook post before RNZ Pacific reported the issue.
Players also questioned where all the funding for their campaign and other national teams was going, if the FRU was not able to pay the players on time.
Suva Rugby Union general secretary Nemani Tuifagalele last week questioned the FRU on its finances, calling for answers on how money has been spent.
He asked then why are the national teams not being paid allowances and why the FRU finance team didn't alert or advise FRU management when the finances were in the red.
Mazey's revelation is the first to be made by any FRU official, board member or trustee on the real financial mess the union is in.
Work to be done
Meanwhile, Mazey said he and the trustees appointed by the Fijian Minister of Justice Siromi Turaga have been working overtime in trying to stablise the FRU and its operation.
He said there was a lot of work that needs to be done, while also ensuring the national teams continue to participate in international commitments and the local competitions continue to run.
The former FRU Board, led by former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, has been blamed for the mess, with Mazey saying they did not allow the trustees to do their work.
"The most important thing is trying to get everything stabilised. While we have to handle the debt, we also have an obligation to our national teams, to our sponsors, to ensure that tournaments continue, that we have a World Cup team correctly funded," Mazey said.
"And that's been done through sponsorship and that money is in play separately to the debt, the operational debt that exists.
"But the other challenge is that we are tasked to set rugby union in Fiji on a new path. It has to become a properly legal body. And as such, we're working with World Rugby and the International Olympic Committee through Oceania Olympics and we just have to make sure that we restructure the organisation to be a professional one.
"That is a business that has over $23 million in income, which for the small island country is pretty good. But we have to make sure that we can continue."
Mazey confirmed the financial crisis will not affect the Flying Fijians' participation at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, because sponsors Fiji Water has already committed funding towards that.