FIJI Rugby Union cannot compete with the offers received by the Vodafone Fiji 7s players to play in Sri Lanka.
A number of players have left to play rugby in Sri Lanka weakening the extended 7s national squad preparing for the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series.
FRU CEO Radrodro Tabualevu said they were not in a “position presently to compete with moneys that are being offered offshore”.
He said matching the $50,000 six-month contracts which was being offered by clubs in Sri Lanka was a “stiff climb”.
According to FRU, the 7s contract which will be available for 15 players will be on three tiers.
The bottom tier players will receive a salary of $15,000, the middle tier $17,500 and the top tier $20,000.
Apart from the salaries, each player is paid daily allowances during tournaments, $1000 appearance fee per tournament and cash bonus from Vodafone starting from the plate competition win.
Pio Tuwai, who has taken up a contract in Sri Lanka, and skipper Osea Kolinisau are the only players contracted with FRU.
Tabualevu said coach Ben Ryan had given the names of 11 players who they were negotiating the contract with.
“Sri Lanka at this time, the sort of money they are throwing around, is having an impact on our contract negotiations here,” Radrodro said.
“So what was being offered before is probably not enough.
“FRU cannot match offers from overseas. We are working with our consortium partners trying to find a way to secure them.”
FRU is not pleased with Tuwai for breaching the contract.
Tabualevu said Tuwai had not advised them of his decision to leave for Sri Lanka as he was bonded under the contract with FRU.
He said they have written to the Sri Lankan Rugby Union advising them of their opposition regarding Tuwai.
“We do not begrudge or hold back players from going to better their lot,” Radrodro said.
“All we ask is fairness to FRU. FRU invests a lot of time and money and resources in players. The least we ask that players are open and frank with us.
“Our players are under lot of duress to earn and we do not want to hold them back from earning.
“In fact if we can train our players and get them to earn this lucrative contract elsewhere, that’s part of our objective achieved.
“What we do not want is a reputation of our players that they don’t value contracts.”
