Former Fiji sevens coach Ben Ryan on Tuesday said that the team "he led to Olympic glory should split from the Fiji Rugby Union" to ensure it is "properly managed," according to THE NATIONAL. Under the three-year guidance of Ryan, "Fiji enjoyed the most successful spell" in its history. Despite its on-field success, the Fiji set-up "has been hindered by pay disputes, with players currently off-contract and only being paid a modest per diem allowance for their services." Ryan, who left his post after Fiji won the inaugural sevens Olympic Gold, "questioned the FRU’s handling of the team." He said, "What does alarm me is we have one of the most marketable, iconic sports teams -- they won back-to-back World Series titles, (they are) Olympic Gold Medalists. If we can’t market them properly and get their value and what they are worth so the boys and the program can get the money and resources that they need, then I think it’s time for us to look at the whole system." He suggested Fiji sevens "should become a commercial entity separate from the FRU." Ryan added, "It would be run commercially, transparently and for the first time you would get proper funding coming in without any worries around governance, having to pay off debt from various other things" (THE NATIONAL, 12/20).
