Leeds Metropolitan University paid a former world rugby star thousands of pounds to recruit players for the university, including cash payments withdrawn on a staff credit card.

Internal auditors discovered the deal with former Fiji sevens coach Waisale Serevi after questions were asked by the Yorkshire Post about a series of cash withdrawals by staff.  

But they could not find any evidence that a business case for the deal had been authorized, any evidence of invoices and any evidence of why he was being paid in cash.

They did come across an MOU outlining that Serevi, was to be paid 1,000 pounds a day plus 500 pounds for each student recruited, but found this is to be neither dated nor signed by either party.

It was revealed last night that Leeds Metropolitan had paid Serevi 8,000 pounds in total, including 1,000 pounds in cash and two players had been recruited to play for the university.

It can also be revealed that former Leeds Met director Joy Kumar, who paid cash to Serevi, spent a further 6,357 pounds on a trip to Taiwan to recruit his services, including 2,900 pounds on business class.

Serevi was Taiwan's national rugby coach at the time of the trip in May last year.

The deal was highlighted in the findings of an investigation commissioned by Leeds in response to a Yorkshire Post article on spending at the university.