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Following yesterday’s shock news that the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) have terminated the contract of Head Coach Waisale Serevi, the board has released a statement in an attempt to clarify the situation.

“The circumstances surrounding the end of Waisale Serevi’s employment with the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) have been the subject of much public comment and speculation.

The FRU has deliberately remained silent on the issue. After the announcement of Serevi’s dismissal yesterday, it now appears that there is a concerted campaign from some quarters to discredit the FRU Board and the national selectors.

The FRU acknowledges that Serevi is regarded as an icon and his past enormous contributions to Fiji rugby are respected. The FRU understands that the “Serevi issue” will always attract strong emotions and views. It may agree with some of the views expressed but differ on others.

It is however important to set the record straight.

The FRU does not have a personal grudge against Serevi. If it did it would not have re-appointed him the National Sevens Coach late last year.

In any institution or organization there are rules and regulations that the staff and employees must comply with. The FRU is no different. If the rules are broken then staff must be prepared to suffer the consequences.

Serevi was a full time employee of the FRU before his termination. Soon after his appointment as National Sevens Coach he has been repeatedly warned both verbally and in writing about his failure to comply with board and management directives.

Most of those warnings were ignored and attempts at counseling failed. From day one, he has refused to be a team player. No employer can tolerate an employee who refuses to co-operate and work with his bosses. His employment record with the FRU was unsatisfactory. More recently Serevi’s continued public utterances questioning team selection have also brought the FRU into dispute.

The Board has tolerated his behavior for a while but it has now reached a stage where the board had to regrettably make this decision.

Having regard to the foregoing, the FRU reluctantly decided that the element of trust that is critical to an employer/employee relationship no longer existed and it would be inappropriate that should continue his contract as National Sevens Coach. Regrettably as Serevi himself has acknowledged, the relationship between him and the FRU had broken down to the point where it had become unworkable.

At the end of the day the best interests of Fiji Rugby must prevail. The board deliberated at length before arriving at its decision to relieve Serevi of his duties. It was not a decision that was made lightly.

In thanking him for his past services, the FRU would like to take the opportunity of wishing Serevi well in whatever new career path he chooses to pursue.

The FRU hopes that this now clarifies its position on this long drawn issue and now considers the matter closed. The events that took place yesterday are now history.

The FRU now wishes to focus all its efforts on the remaining tournaments in the IRB Series, and more importantly our objective in retaining the RWC Sevens Tournament in Dubai”