Flying Fijians Head Coach Named Soon

The FIJI Water Flying Fijians head coach will be announced this week. This was confirmed yesterday by Fiji Rugby Union interim board chairman Peter Mazey.

Mazey indicated last month that there were four candidates for the final phase of the interview which was held at Holiday Inn in Suva, including Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne and Senirusi Seruvakula.

Byrne has been widely speculated to take on the role which was left vacant after the Rugby World Cup last year when Flying Fijians head coach Simon Raiwalui joined World Rugby.

“You are right to expect an announcement shortly,” Mazey said yesterday.

“Currently I can’t say anything else, it is best not to speculate.”

Meanwhile Raiwalui who took up the World Rugby High Performance Pathways and Player Development Manager was inside the Fijian Drua coaching booth with Byrne at the Drua versus Waratahs Super Rugby Pacific game last Saturday at Churchill Park, Lautoka.

Asked if Raiwalui was here to finalise the coaching selection, Mazey said: “Simon was here in his new position as World Rugby’s High Performance Pathways and Player Development Manager.” 

FRU early this month had clarified that the delay in the decision-making process also involved gaining agreement on the appointment with all tri-partite stakeholders, including the FRU, Fiji Government and World Rugby.

All applications were handled by Global Elite Sports in liaison entity with the FRU where final interviews were done on February 10. The Flying Fijians head coach role was advertised in January.

The Flying Fijians are scheduled to meet the Barbarians in a much anticipated match at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday June 22, 2024 (kick-off 3pm).

The Fijians have had two successful outings against the club that is made up of some of the world’s best rugby players brought under one banner, to contest the Killik Cup.

The two sides have faced each other four times; Fiji winning twice to date. The first time was in 1970 when the Fijians ran riot in the second half at a packed Gosforth stadium, the visiting team entertained with some dazzling running rugby winning 29-9.

Their recent encounter was in 2019, when Fiji made up of a mix of young and experienced players challenged the Baa-baas, packed with senior players from national teams, who had just come off the Rugby World Cup.

The Fijians lifted the Killik Cup after winning at the final whistle 33-31 in Twickenham.

Feedback: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj