Auckland: A suspended rugby player says he's ready to quit the sport if his outspoken comments against the International Rugby Board lead to better treatment for second-tier teams.
Samoan centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu was suspended by the IRB after failing to appear at a World Cup judicial hearing yesterday to discuss critical comments he made on Twitter about the IRB and referee Nigel Owens, who officiated during Samoa's narrow loss to South Africa last week. But Fuimaono-Sapolu said on New Zealand TV he wasn't informed about the whereabouts or time of the hearing.
"Perhaps," Fuimaono-Sapolu said when asked if he would have attended the hearing if he knew the details. "They don't really have most people's trust at the moment. A lot of injustice has been dealt by the IRB and I would struggle to believe they would come up with a just decision for me."
Was he ready to sacrifice his professional rugby career? "Yes," said the qualified lawyer. "I studied hard for a reason, to make sure I had a backup."
The 30-year-old Fuimaono-Sapolu has hinted at retiring from international rugby after his second World Cup. He is currently under contract with English club Gloucester, where he was named their best player last season.
