The Fiji Rugby Union will decide later this week whether to ask the International Rugby Board to act on claims that French club Racing Metro paid three Fiji players to make themselves unavailable for last year’s World Cup.

Britain’s Independent newspaper on Wednesday quoted former All Black Simon Mannix, who was backline coach at Racing Metro for five years, as saying the club paid players bonuses to withdraw from the Fiji World Cup squad.

Sireli Bobo and Jone Qovu both pulled out of the Fiji squad citing personal reasons, while Josh Matavesi withdrew citing club commitments.

The FRU confirmed on Thursday it has officially complained to Racing Metro over Qovu’s unavailability for its current European tour.

Qovu refused selection claiming to be injured, but later played a club match.

The IRB said in a statement it could not investigate allegations against the French club until it received a formal complaint.

“The IRB can only act on player release issues if requested to do so by a union or if it is provided with credible evidence that would allow it to pursue its own inquiry,” it said.

FRU spokeswoman Talei Mow said the union would make a statement later this week indicating whether it would alert the IRB to the issue.

Chief executive Manasa Barivilala is currently in Britain with the Fiji team.

In a further statement on Thursday, the IRB reminded members of their obligation to release players for international matches.

“Player release is central to the integrity and economic sustainability of the international game and the IRB continues to be proactively committed to assisting unions with player release issues,” the statement said.

The IRB said it is currently monitoring player release issues during the November 2012 window “and the matter will be the subject of discussion at the IRB November 2012 meetings in Dublin.”

There have long been concerns that players from the sport’s financially poorer countries, particularly in the Pacific Islands, face economic “blackmail” by wealthy clubs in the sport’s established nations.

Under IRB rules, clubs must release players at times designated for full internationals.

But clubs have tried to avoid this by using clauses in contracts with players from cash-strapped nations.

Former Fiji fly-half Nicky Little, who has played club rugby in five European countries, labelled the practice as “blackmail”.