Dan Leo has issued withering update regarding ongoing ugly Fijian controversy
Daniel Leo has hit back at claims by USA Sevens coach Mike Friday that he is using the sport as a political football by threatening to get it banned from the Olympics in his battle with World Rugby. The Pacific Rugby Players Welfare chief executive is seeking World Rugby governance reform following the recent Francis Kean controversy which saw the Fiji rugby chairman attempt to contest the World Rugby executive committee election despite evidence of homophobic comments and a conviction for manslaughter.
Kean eventually quit the election, where he had also seconded Bill Beaumont’s nomination to become chairman, but the fall-out left American boss Friday telling RugbyPass: “This is a pretty juvenile strong-arm tactic to throw out there given all the work that has been done to get sevens into the Olympics. More importantly, sevens is the only authentic way we can make the sport global. Being out of the Games could have serious effects for those who come out of and we need to be careful using the sport as a political football.”
Leo has now responded, using a lengthy PRPW column directed at the Fiji Sun newspaper to reiterate his stance regarding Kean and his alleged incitement to brutalise the Fijian prison officers he commanded, the status of rugby sevens at the 2021 Olympics in Japan, and further undermining what he believes is the inadequate running of Fijian rugby by its officials be recalling his organisation’s ignored pre-RWC 2019 correspondence with the FRU.
“To be very clear, Pacific Rugby Players Welfare believes that the current chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union is not a fit and proper person to organise a game of touch rugby in a muddy backyard, let alone to serve as chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, to sit on the World Rugby Council or even – heaven’s above – the WR Exco.
“Neither is the chairman’s brother in law, the prime minister and current president of the FRU who appointed the chairman in 2015, nor the prime minister’s cousin, the FRU CEO. We continue to press World Rugby on the status of their investigation into Francis Kean which they promised on April 19 immediately following the Sunday Times’ expose of his shocking homophobic language and incitement to brutalise prison officers he commanded.
Politicians & their corruption are killing rugby in the islands Mike . If we dont address this then we never progress. Meanwhile the sport prospers off our players.
If @WorldRugby don’t want to fix it then what options do we have but to appeal to the higher governing bodies?
— Daniel Leo (@danleo82) April 30, 2020
“If you are as interested as you say in the long-term success of rugby sevens in the Olympic programme, we can guarantee that the best way to achieve this is to make sure that Kean (no matter what passport and under which made-up names he selects) goes nowhere near the Tokyo competition,” said Leo in his hard-hitting column.
“There is nothing more likely to cause rugby sevens to be removed from the IOC sports programme than for World Rugby and the FRU to have failed to prevent a known homophobic, convicted killer from receiving accreditation to the event, let alone the probable dressing room and pitch access he would expect and even the possibility of presenting medals.
“It’s a reflection that aspects of World Rugby are past their sell-by date, with their fly-in, fly-out expatriate governance experts, that Kean was able to get as far as he did. World Rugby has been marking their homework for too long and the PRPW is leading the process in calling that out.
“The USA sevens coach Mike Friday, a man whose service to the game I respect, isn’t across the issues of how much damage Kean is doing and has done to Fiji rugby. Just in the same way, we are not across the many challenging issues that USA Rugby faces. But unlike him, we chose not to comment on what we are not fully briefed on. So we have invited him to study the situation in Fiji before he goes into bat for the current FRU chairman.
“It boils down to this: You are either on the side of a homophobic, convicted killer who incites his junior officers to violence leading to multiple deaths in custody, or you are against such a person having anything to do with the game.
“It is for rugby and all the sport’s stakeholders to make their choice on Francis Kean. We know that you have made your choice. We are sure that Friday’s ultimate benefactors at the US Olympic Committee would have a fit if they understood their delegation’s sevens coach was giving anything close to encouragement or approval for someone so obviously unfit for the office his brother in law appointed him to hold.”
Leo wrapped up his column by referencing Fiji’s recent World Cup XVs campaign, which ended in the disappointment of failing to reach the quarter-finals in Japan. “It might interest your readers to reflect on the last time we had any direct dealings with the Fiji Rugby Union. Just so you can be sure in your own mind who has the best interests of Fiji rugby and her fans at heart.
EXCLUSIVE @MikeFriday09 thinks Dan Leo's threat to rugby's place in the Olympics is a step too far
– reports @chrisjonespress https://t.co/mKJ243qEOi
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 29, 2020
“In August 2018 we wrote to the FRU CEO to encourage him in the strongest possible terms to demand that World Rugby revisit the schedule for the 2019 Rugby World Cup as both Fiji and Samoa [yet again] had received draws that gave their tier one group rivals a significant advantage. This was more than a year before the tournament.
“Fiji played her four Test matches in 18 days vs 20 days for Wales and Australia (Samoa was 18 days vs Scotland and Ireland’s 21 days). Who knows, if Fiji had more than three days’ recovery time between the Australia and Uruguay matches – what we were asking the FRU CEO to ensure his team had – the outcome of the whole tournament could have been different.
Excellent idea…
https://t.co/oI8h6hlZpD— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 29, 2020
“There is no evidence that the FRU CEO even thought to raise this subject. As we said at the time, ‘waiting for scraps and quivering with gratitude is not the way to overhaul a system that has stripped the best from the Pacific and given so little back in return. That is why we chose to stand united as rugby professionals and proud Pacific Islanders, and are happy to look after each other for the common good’.
“The FRU and the Fiji Sun have spent too long waiting for scraps and quivering with gratitude. Both are obstacles to what the game of rugby needs now more than ever.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments