Baber helps Oceania Rugby men’s, women’s combine teams
The Oceania Rugby women’s combine consists of players from the Oceania Women’s Championship from Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
Thursday 24 August 2023 | 05:40
From left: Former national sevens men’s sevesn rugby head coach Gareth Baber, Oceania Rugby Women’s combine head coach Greg William and Maty Hulmes during training at Albert Park on August 22, 2023.. Photo: Ronald Kumar
Former Fijian national sevens men’s head coach Gareth Baber is on a short-term contract with Oceania Rugby.
He is in the country now with some Super W club coaches running such programmes for the Oceania Rugby women’s and men’s combine teams.
The Oceania Rugby women’s combine consists of players from the Oceania Women’s Championship from Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.
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The women’s week-long programme is this week at Albert Park, Suva while the men will start theirs next week.
“We are going to do some testing and some skills development work,” Baber said.
“We are looking at the qualities of players that can move on to Super W. Next week we will do the same for the men, to see their potential.
“It’s good to be back and be able to do that.
“It’s good throughout the Pacific; there are talents all around the islands both in the men and women.
“Players from Tonga and Samoa, PNG get to come in and get coached in these sort of environment, something we like to think is close to Super Rugby – in a professional high performance environment.”
Baber is Director of Rugby System at Cardiff Met University; the institution is close to where he lives.
He was most recently the Assistant Attack and Skills Coach at Edinburgh Rugby
“For me it’s great because I’m back in Fiji and doing to that again,” he said.
“I’ve coached 15s alongside the 7s all throughout my career in the last 20 years, it’s great to be back here and doing this again in Fiji, it’s been a while.
“Had to return to the UK after the Olympics, now I’m just privileged to be in the position with some good people and good stuff in a great country.
“Effectively, you sort of come in and have a short-term contract and be in a different place in the world.
“This is also done in America and the players there go to the Major League Rugby, it’s good to see that Fiji is supporting that through Oceania Rugby, giving these budding professional get their chance to be professional players.
“I am enjoying my rugby, creating influence with people I care about and see that it gets better and maybe one day return to Fiji as well.”
Feedback: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj
