Former Fiji 7s Coach Ben Ryan maintains the FRU will be spending $1 million on their bid for the World Rugby Sevens Series tournament.
FBC Sports contacted Ryan this morning, following FRU’s statement that the cost of the bid has been greatly exaggerated and is not factual.
But, Ryan maintains the numbers are not wrong.
FBC Sports also asked Ryan why he declined to join Fiji’s bidding team.
To this Ryan replied saying FRU’s bid team leader, Brian Thorburn had approached him in August.
But he thought their views were pretty different and gave an example of the current bidding of the sevens tournament.
Meanwhile the FRU released the following statement after Ryan’s claims on social media:
The Fiji Rugby Union has clarified the figures quoted by former Fiji 7s coach Ben Ryan in terms of the cost of the bid for a World Rugby 7s Series Leg, have been greatly exaggerated and are not factual.
Ryan has made the claims in relation to the bid on social media.
The FRU in a statement says they note Ryan’s opinion and is fully aware of his views since FRU had sought his support for the Bid in August last year.
The FRU says Ryan had declined this prior to the FRU making the decision to proceed with the Bid.
In the statement FRU also says this is their first attempt to bid to host a World Rugby 7s Series Leg in the Home of Sevens Rugby and FRU is committed to the bid.
The FRU says they will do all they can to bring home a leg of the World Sevens Series and prove to the World that Fiji can run such a global event successfully.
In addition to this, the FRU says all costs associated with the promotion of the bid on local television and radio stations have been met by those stations at no cost to the FRU in support of their bid.
The FRU has also thanked all the organizations and Fijians who have signed up their support for the bid.
The FRU has also urged all Fijians to continue to support their bid since hosting such a global event will not only benefit Rugby but all Fijians and more importantly the country.
Meanwhile, FRU will be submitting their official bid to the World Rugby on the 28th of next month.
