England’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final was hours from being called off, reveals Sale’s new superstar as he lifts lid on ‘corrupt’ Fiji, Michael Jordan and his dreams of going from hotel team to prime minister

Waisea Nayacalevu has something to say. ‘We’ve never said this publicly, but it’s time to say it,’ says the Fiji captain, his gold tooth glinting in the Manchester sun. ‘We need to eradicate this virus that’s always been here.’

This isn’t the story of his encounters with Neymar and Michael Jordan, which we’ll get to later. It’s the untold truth about how Fiji nearly brought last year’s World Cup to its knees by threatening to pull out 48 hours before the quarter-final against England.

“There is corruption in the rugby house of Fiji,” he says. “We weren’t going to play the England game, we were going to walk away. They promised us things and we didn’t get them. We were promised a bonus.

‘We stayed in Marseille and I organised a presentation, a Zoom call, I organised everything, to talk about what they had promised us. We gave them a date and said: “If you don’t pay for that day, nobody is going to play this quarter-final”.’

The senior leadership group, consisting of Semi Radradra, Levani Botia, Albert Tuisue and Eroni Mawi, were all on board and gathered at the Radisson Blu hotel in Marseille.

“I’ve been playing for Fiji for over 10 years and it’s the same,” Nayacalevu said. “It’s not the first time… guys getting paid half, guys not getting paid for weeks. We got paid on the Thursday before the England game. It was close. It took our focus away.

“Fiji has the potential to win the World Cup, that was our mindset last year. We were frustrated after the England game because we built up phases but there were hands in every ruck blocking the ball. We don’t play with our eyes closed.

‘This is probably my last year in Fiji and I said to the team, “Guys, when I leave here, I hope you learn from this… if things happen in the future, I hope you have the balls to punch them in the face”. If we didn’t have corruption, if we had professional people in charge, Fiji would be better. It’s not fair, but you have to go in there and sort it out.’

For now, Nayacalevu’s focus is on Sale. He is the Premiership’s most high-profile signing for the new season, replacing Manu Tuilagi in midfield following his move from Toulon. The 34-year-old is based at Sale’s Carrington training base and tells Mail Sport about life in France — and his move to these shores.

“When I was 22, I moved to Stade Francais and lived in Paris for 10 years,” he says.

‘I met some cool people, some real d********s too! It was surreal. When we won the Top 14, we went to the VIP section of a nightclub in Paris and suddenly there was Michael Jordan. He was surrounded by bodyguards, but then I went to the toilet and Michael Jordan was standing next to me. I’m speechless!

‘Another time we were in the gym and the whole Paris Saint-Germain team came in, guys like Thiago Silva in their tracksuits. Neymar was there, hitting the weights! Maybe he would be a full-back in rugby. I come from a small village in Fiji, so it was all overwhelming for me.

‘I had a great time in France, but I always felt like I wanted to experience something different.

“Moving to Manchester is part of the experience and I’m so grateful to Sale. I can’t wait. I’ve told the lads I’ll bring them some kava, the Fijian drink, after the first game.”

Nayacalevu has moved to a Manchester city centre apartment block with his French wife Jojo and their two children. ’45th floor, bro! I’ve never been this high in my life!’ It’s a world away from his humble beginnings on an island village wedged between mountains and the Pacific coastline.

‘I grew up in a village called Deuba. The music is different — more Fijian love songs than Oasis! There aren’t many cars. People walk, ride horses, take boats, village life. My dad works in a timber yard and my mum worked in hotels. It’s a beautiful place, people don’t know how lucky they are.

‘I was a barman at a hotel called Uprising Beach Resort. When I was 18, the owner, who was half French and half Fijian, wanted to start a rugby team. He brought the boys from the local area because he wanted to promote his hotel by having a sevens team.

‘Then he said, “Let’s market our resort overseas,” so we took the team to Australia, Barcelona, ​​Rome and Brighton. I was spotted by an agent in France and got a contract. It all started with a job in a bar!’

His journey from poverty to wealth has transformed him into a Fiji treasure. His most famous contact? The country’s president.

“We lived in a normal house with foundations off the ground,” he explains. “When it rains heavily, the water comes down from the mountains and the sea rises. It can rain for a week.

‘We loved playing rugby in the water, that’s where you learn the skills. Every afternoon, in every village, in every weather, everyone plays touch rugby, barefoot with an old rugby ball or a coconut, unloading.

“The president is crazy about rugby and he tried to get me to act as an ambassador for climate change. I couldn’t do that because I was busy here, but he wanted me to do something about the impact of rising sea levels on the small islands back home. I don’t have time now — maybe after rugby.”

A future in politics? ‘I want to be prime minister!’ he says, laughing and looking at his gold tooth.

‘I would systematically change everything at home. The people who run things are not open-minded. I would change how people are cared for.

‘I just want people to be treated fairly and equally. I want to open a professional consultancy in Fiji to advise the younger generation on what it takes to work in a professional environment. That I would change things for the better of our children and our future.

‘I came from nothing, from humble beginnings to someone who stands next to Michael Jordan.

“I’ve seen different things around the world and from my point of view it can be better.”