Fiji's rugby hierarchy will soon respond to claims that a former player sabotaged the squad in the Hong Kong rugby sevens tournament.

Fiji sevens coach Josateki Savou has told the FijiVillage website a former senior player had sabotaged the team last weekend for personal gain.

Fiji, ranked third in the International Rugby Board's world sevens standings, was thrashed 34-0 by New Zealand in a semi-final of last weekend's Hong Kong tournament.

Savou told the website that with the calibre of players he had, there was no way the team should have fared so badly.

The coach said he and captain Marika Vunibaka had established some key players were influenced in the game by the unnamed person.

Savou is currently in Australia with the Fiji squad, to play in the Adelaide Sevens tournament this weekend.

Fiji Rugby Board chairman Keni Dakuidreketi is also in Adelaide for the tournament but could not be contacted for comment.

A tournament spokesman said the board would release a statement later about the claims.

The Fijian team was to have trained in Adelaide's inner south, but the practice was cancelled.

Most of the Fijian Rugby Board members were expected to arrive in Adelaide on Sunday, the final day of the Adelaide leg of the IRB Sevens series.

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