Fiji sevens Olympic‑winning coach Ben Ryan says Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are being stripped of their rugby talent by crooked agents and dodgy backhanders.
He has told the BBC that the lack of licensed agents has turned the Pacific Islands into the “Wild West” and claims players are being lured overseas on false promises.
Ryan now wants significant changes to protect the smaller nations.
He says anyone can do anything, so it’s the Wild West in that respect.
The Englishman also warned that top clubs are actively harvesting Pacific Island “freaks” of increasingly young ages; islanders are lured overseas to provide for their families but end up representing other countries.
He says there are good agents but many are unregulated and unsupervised.
Ryan says the game needs fresh ideas to create fair opportunities for the islanders.
Source: BBC
