Fiji captain Ikanivere dismisses chairman's 'return on investment' demand ahead of England clash

Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere has shrugged off a pointed public rebuke from his own union’s chairman, insisting the squad remains focused on repeating their famous upset of England rather than satisfying boardroom expectations.

John Sanday, chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, publicly questioned the squad’s value for money following their 39-24 Nations Championship defeat to Wales in Cardiff last week. “The players have been well-looked after and paid well, where is the return on investment?” Sanday said. “This is the urgent question. I personally don’t accept sub-par performance. Those that are very well paid, from the management to the players, need to look at themselves in the mirror and be honest.”

Ikanivere, who captains Fiji and plays his club rugby for Honda Heat, was measured but direct in his response. “It’s a bit disappointing coming from the chairman of our own board,” he told the Press Association. “Why he would say those types of things? But that’s his point of view. That’s his problem, he can deal with it.”

The hooker drew a clear line between his responsibilities and Sanday’s. “He’s running a business and I’m playing for my nation and we’re all working towards the same goal,” Ikanivere said. “My job is to play rugby and his job is to get returns. Two different things.”

Fiji face England at a sold-out Hill Dickinson Stadium, one of several home fixtures the Pacific Islanders are staging in the UK this month for financial and logistical reasons — an arrangement that underlines the commercial pressures Sanday referenced. The match carries added significance as Fiji’s only win in ten meetings with England came in 2023, a result Ikanivere’s side will be looking to replicate.

“I don’t mind what anybody says,” the captain added. “What I care about is the welfare of my boys and my men. Wales outplayed us last week and that’s all the motivation we need.”

Fiji sit bottom of the Nations Championship’s southern hemisphere pool after round one, with no points from their opening fixture. England are also yet to open their account following their own first-round defeat.