Fijians not happy at cash hand-outs 

Wayne Pivac

The Fijian Rugby Union will be asking the International Rugby Board why it has received $2 million to meet the costs of playing in the newly proposed Pacific Six Nations competition, while Samoa has scooped almost double.

It's not that the FJU wants to appear ungrateful but coach Wayne Pivac said the IRB funding package, to be spread across three years is about $1.6 million short of what the country needs to build a high-performance unit.

Without the unit, Pivac is sceptical about Fiji's chances of becoming a genuinely competitive Tier One rugby nation.

But despite the grievance about the funding discrepancy, news that Fiji will play an annual cross-border tournament against the Junior All Blacks, Australia A, Samoa, Tonga and Japan has been well received.

"It has guaranteed us fixtures for the next three years so that side we are very happy with. It is disappointing that we are the second lowest in funding. "We are still a bit bamboozled why Samoa's is nearly twice ours. We will be inquiring what went against us," Pivac said.

"We are probably about $1.6 million short of what we need to build a high-performance unit but it is obviously a start and we are happy to receive it. We don't know whether we will get to play games in Fiji, obviously it would be great if we could. We are a different side in Fiji, as we showed against the Maori the week before we came to Auckland to play the All Blacks. We are hopeful but we wait and see what develops. The rugby public would love to see a team like New Zealand A here.

"It won't make any difference in bringing players back to play their domestic football. What we need is the high-performance unit and then additional funding to contract the players to that unit, otherwise they will keep getting picked off by schools in New Zealand."

Whether there'll be any games in the islands remains to be seen with details still to be worked out.

That hasn't stopped the New Zealand Rugby Union from expressing considerable satisfaction at the IRB's decision. The NZRU harboured concerns about an alternative IRB proposal to run a cross-border competition involving Australia's provincial teams, Japan and the Pacific Island nations.

Having stated their intention to give the Junior All Blacks a regular and meaningful programme, the NZRU wanted any IRB-funded tournament featuring the Pacific Islands to be against national rather than provincial sides.

With the Pacific Six Nations now due to start in June next year, it has elevated the importance of the Junior All Blacks, which could be crucial in the battle to retain talent in New Zealand.

Exit interviews conducted with departing players show that money is not always the crucial factor in driving talent overseas.

Many players have suggested that increased international opportunities would provide a major incentive to stay in New Zealand.

The NZRU will receive up to $650,000 a year from the IRB to help fund the Junior All Blacks' involvement in the Pacific Six Nations.

The Australian Rugby Union will also receive up to $650,000 a year, while Fiji will receive $2 million, Japan $1.4 million, Tonga $2.1 million and Samoa $3.8 million.

The IRB has also announced plans to extend the Churchill Cup so that Argentina A, Scotland A, Ireland A and Wales A will join Canada, USA, New Zealand Maori and England A.

France A, Italy A and South Africa A will play in a competition with Romania. There are also plans to fund provincial competitions in North America, South America the Pacific Islands.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY