Rugby, football players deserve better

Opinions / Analysis

THE athletes of the two biggest sporting organizations in the country deserve better.

Professional rugby and football players who make the game aren’t getting the fair value of their profession.

Or is it.

It is the players who the fans love to see in action and depend on to bring out their best when they represent.

They help to fill those stadiums, attract fans to their tvs, radios, computers, and sell their jerseys and team apparel.

And with the million dollar organizations they serve, they sure deserve their cut of the pie.

But do they?

Recently Fiji Rugby Union and FFA have come under intense criticism.

And for all the wrong reasons.

The two professional sports entities are a multi-million dollar a year industry.

FRU's inability to pay its players caused a great deal of apprehension among the Fijiana and Fiji 7s players, FFA has capped the players on a $200 a week contract.

And now with the ever rising cost of living, compounded with inflation, the players would find it hard to live within means, and weigh their options on the needs with wants.


FIFA grant and sponsorship

With all the millions in sponsorship funds, it so appears the administrators are ignoring the players' daily grind and their livelihood through unfair payments.

Aghast, the organization’s administrators and honchos seem to have explanations of expenditures, which always leaves the public in awe.

The FFA gets in upwards of $US8 million, an increment of $US2 from $US6, for the new cycle.

More than $FDJ3m per year is spent on the development, operation and administration of the organization.

You can bet that much of the money goes towards salaries but development.

Given the current standard of the sport in the country versus the results of every age group and national men and women’s team’s internationally and locally, one could argue about the allocation of funds towards it.

Now with such a claim, right thinking people should question the salaries of the FFA employees, coaches, CEO, and president, as it is more than necessary to disclose for public knowledge, including other perks and privileges that befits the people in power and position.

It would be fair to say that if FFA lives off FIFA grant, all the more districts should equally live off  FFA through an yearly grant to sustain its operational costs.

And considering the governance garners profit from its three major tournaments, Fiji Fact, BOG and IDC and tops other sponsorships, it isn't a big ask.


FRU saga, default payment

The FRU has just recently secured $3.8 million sponsorship from Fiji Water, add to all the other sponsorships, Vodafone, C.J Patel and Rooster Chicken.

For FRU, its seven rugby is a trademark, having won the back to back Olympic Games gold in 2016 and 2020, but it is far from being a model organization.

The Fiji government through the Minister of Justice Siromi Turaga — suspended all board members and it angered World Rugby, who made a decision to reprimand the FRU who will not be able to vote on any world rugby issue until its governance and legality issues are dealt with.

It is known there are sponsors who are willing to put their last coin in the brand, but are reluctant on the people who run the outfit.

There's enough money in the economy, with many successful local businesses that could afford to provide the financial support FRU needs.  

And it’s the only sport that produces some of the most talented rugby players in the world, unlike soccer, that after Roy Krishna have nothing to show for in the world of football.

Players union

With the two sports going professional, there needs to be a players union that would represent its members in collective bargaining negotiations, contracts, grievance hearings and wage related issues.

Their sole mission would be to ensure that the rights of rugby and football players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist the players in maximizing their opportunities on and off the field.

Volunteer work

The old cliche that ‘passion’ should drive the athletes to play for free in the name of the game, then its a fair argument the highly paid executives lead by example and volunteer their time. It would be interesting to see how many put their hands up for the job.

Let’s be clear, it’s the players who deserve the appreciation as they’re the game and worth it.