What you deserve

Let's start with respect

A tweet from Fijiana Captain, Sereima Leweniqila

Yet again, the real women’s rugby news broke via social media. A leader within the game using her platform to speak out about poor treatment. In this case, it was Fijiana’s captain, Sereima Leweniqila.

“Do we have to win everytime to be treated right?
What does it take for our voices to be heard?
Do we always have to fight to get what we deserve?”

These were the question Leweniqila posed, presumably aimed at the Fiji Rugby but will feel familiar to many women in sport. They are questions I have asked myself. It’s part of the reason that when I was younger, I used to live by the motto ‘Be so good, they can’t ignore you.’ As if it success simply relied on hard work.

As I’ve seen more of the world, I’ve come to realise it was never going to be that easy. That while we can prime ourselves somethings will remain stubbornly and purposefully out of reach. ‘Pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ the phrase meant to inspire self determination was originally sarcasm, acknowledging what an impossible task that would be.

The rebranding of this phrase from understood nonsense to instragram-able inspiration feels emblematic of the way so many societal problems these days are put on the shoulders of individuals. The part left unsaid is that if you are experiencing a problem it’s because you are one.

That sentiment was plain the press release Fiji Rugby eventually issued in response to Leweniqila’s post. No problem here, except these greedy women. No issues, save a mouthy captain.

It is clear from the opening sentence.

All payments have been fulfilled. Nothing to see here folks.

Payments fulfilled as of this morning… that’s nearly a month after the Wallaroo’s test and 10 days after the end of the Oceania Championship. Two days after Leweniqila spoke out.

There is is only one reason that the union would decide to include the pay rate of the Fijian Warriors team here and that is to create ill feeling towards the Fijiana team. It is no secret (read any comment section) that many members of the general public believe that women should be paid less than men in rugby. However, Fijiana are the top side that play for Fiji. The Warriors are a development team made up of players from the high performance unit.

So Fiji Rugby are being disingenuous here, not comparing apples with apples. Or they are revealing that they see their top level women as equals to development grades. If they wanted to include a list of day rates, include the whole thing. We are being transparent aren’t we? So you should have the Fijiana, the Flying Fijians and the Fijian Warriors.

Are the Fijiana development side paid a day rate? Do they even have one? If so, include them too to paint the whole picture of the Fiji Rugby family.

I won’t let “recent victorious run” slide either. That is clearly another dig at Fijiana who fell just short against Samoa in the Oceania Championship.

Okay but what about the fact that the Fijiana Drua had to be fed by their community in the lead up to their final because the money from Fiji Rugby never arrived. That makes their successful title defence against the Reds even more remarkable given they had this mess to deal with in the lead up.

Throw a hospital pass to the Government to save face here. But in doing so, reveal that not all payments have been made to player as this bonus is still outstanding.

DING! DING! DING! My most hated phrase is included here telling players they should only communicate “through the proper channels”. Tell me, if you hadn’t received your paycheque and the communications you sent through these “proper” channels was going unanswered, how long before you complained publicly? All things considered, they should be thanking Leweniqila and her team for their graciousness and patience while this union gets their act together.

They finish with empty words that honestly, aren’t worth dissection. What we are left with is all that was unsaid creating a whole heap of questions.

How the day rate was negotiated?
What factors did you consider when setting them?
Why did this misunderstanding regarding rates occur?
What steps will be taken to address issues within your “proper channels” to ensure communications between both parties is clear and timely from this point forward?
Do they have to win everytime to be treated right?
What does it take for their voices to be heard?
Do they always have to fight to get what we deserve?

The big question I will be keeping a close eye on is what will happen to Leweniqila? Selection has never favoured women who have spoken out.

An evergreen tweet from Claire Molloy, an Irish international

Selection may not have but history will. It’s only through the strength of character of player’s such as Leweniqila that we have seen progress made. For Fiji, their battles will continue to be fought off the field as well as on them. The good news is, their victories will happen there too. Not just for Fijian women’s rugby but for Fijian women full stop.

With you,

Alice