Rugby Australia’s big chance to do the right thing as Fijian World Cup fairytale crushed

The World Cup’s fairytale has ended in the cruellest fashion. But Rugby Australia has the opportunity — and responsibility — to make sure the story doesn’t end there, writes JULIAN LINDEN.

Fiji's players huddle after losing the Rugby World Cup quarter-final match against England. Picture: AFP

Rugby’s fairytales always end the same way.

Fiji, the game’s most celebrated Cinderella team, have been cruelly knocked out of the World Cup in France, losing 30-24 in an epic quarter-final against England in Marseille early on Monday morning.

With a little bit of luck, the Pacific Islanders could have pulled off an upset for the ages, but it wasn’t to be, partly because they were fighting with one arm tied behind their backs.

The flamboyant entertainers outscored England by three tries to two but lost the penalty count and were on the wrong end of some baffling decisions by the match officials that left them visibly agitated.

“Yeah, I’ll be honest. I was frustrated with a few calls,” Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu said.

“They had already formed a ruck and then (England lock) Maro Itoje just came in and grabbed onto the ball and there was no penalty there. Three times in the game.

“I’m just proud of the boys, they turned up today. I just ask that we can have a fair decision like every team has, so we can play rugby, so everyone can enjoy the game.”

Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu reacts after his side’s heartbreaking loss to England. Picture: AFP

No one who has watched the World Cup before should be surprised that a poorer nation copped a raw deal against a wealthier one.

When the business end of the tournament rolls around, the only survivors left are always the same familiar faces, the traditional powerhouses who not only have the best players but also the most money and influence to decide who gets a seat at the top table.

The little emerging nations that light up the tournament and give hope to all the Davids wanting to slay Goliath never quite get there.

They may provide the most heartwarming moments and help put more bums on seats but none of their names are engraved on the Webb Ellis trophy because it’s not a level playing field.

The smaller rugby nations, which includes Fiji but also Japan and Georgia and Portugal and plenty of others who didn’t even make the playoffs, get a raw deal both on and off the pitch.

If they are not being screwed over by overzealous and inconsistent officiating on the field, they’re being short-changed by unfulfilled promises off the paddock.

The most cold-blooded porky pie of all is the eternal fib that they will get more regular matches against the big boys to help them better prepare for the next World Cup.

Fiji’s World Cup run was ended with a cruel quarter-final loss to England. Picture: AFP

The same promise gets rolled out at every World Cup but as soon as the final whistle goes, the minnows get hung out to dry, left begging the established nations just for a chance to play them again.

It’s scandalous that neither Fiji or Japan have been allowed to join the Rugby Championship or that Georgia or Portugal can’t get an invite to the Six Nations.

Although rugby is on the nose in Australia at the moment, the code is absolutely booming at the global level, even though too many of the biggest countries remain driven by their own self interest.

Given the woeful performance of the Wallabies and the dire financial state the organisation is in right now, Rugby Australia doesn’t have a lot of clout right now but this is a rare moment for the board to do the right thing.

Rugby Australia is considering inviting Fiji to play a one-off Test against the Wallabies next year.

That should be rubber-stamped right away, but it can’t stop there.

The Wallabies haven’t played a Test in Fiji since 1984 so it’s time they made the short flight over to Suva as well.

But above all, Australia needs to back the inclusion of Fiji and Japan in an expanded Rugby Championship.

Fiji must be included in an expanded Rugby Championship — and Australia should help make it happen. Picture: AFP

There are a series of high-level meetings scheduled to take place in Paris over the next fortnight that will decide the future of the Rugby Championship.

One of the most important items on the agenda is whether to allow Fiji and Japan into a six-team annual competition, instead of just paying the usual lip service.

If history is anything to go by, the southern hemisphere giants will listen carefully to all the valid reasons why the tournament needs to grow — then kick the idea down the road for another time. But it’s time to flip the script and come up with a different story ending because they’ve shown they are ready.

“This is a different Fiji team,” their head coach Simon Raiwalui said.

“I think it is just the start of something special. They wanted to create a new identity, I think they have done that.

“The pride’s never gone away, it’s there from the beginning until the day I die. These boys are family. Pride doesn’t disappear.

“The joy is there. For 15 weeks these boys have worked hard and we will celebrate that. We’re hurting now in terms of the result but I couldn’t be prouder of this group in terms of what they’ve put in. They’ve built something for the next generation of Fijian rugby players. They’ve laid a foundation.

“We’re hurting at the moment and it will hurt for a long time because it was something we had built and we thought we could go further. The belief in the team has always been there. I’m bursting with pride.”

Originally published as Rugby Australia’s big chance to do the right thing as Fijian World Cup fairytale crushed