Lawyer is new Drua head coach

The Fijian Drua has appointed highly respected New Zealand coach Brad Mooar (pictured) as head coach of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Men.

Mooar, a championship-winning Crusaders, former All Blacks and Scotland assistant coach, will take charge of the team ahead of the 2027 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season after agreeing to a two-year contract.

He brings extensive experience across Super Rugby Pacific where he has had enormous success as well as international rugby with the All Blacks and leading professional club environments like Scarlets in the United Kingdom.

His appointment follows an exhaustive global recruitment process.

The selection panel which included Fijian Drua and Fiji Rugby leadership as well as an independent expert were unanimous in their endorsement.

Mooar was selected to lead the Drua into its next era after impressing with his deep expertise and ideas around playing a distinctly Fijian style of rugby with the discipline, consistency and physicality to compete in Super Rugby Pacific.

He is currently an assistant coach with the Crusaders, having returned to the franchise for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Mooar was head coach of Welsh professional club Scarlets during the 2019–20 season before joining the All Blacks as backs and attack coach. He also worked with Scotland during the 2023 Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup.

Recruitment process

Fijian Drua chief executive officer Jeff Miller said Mooar stood out during an exceptionally competitive recruitment process.

“This is one of the most important appointments in the short history of the Fijian Drua and we were determined to conduct a genuinely exhaustive process,” Miller said.

“We received applications from an outstanding group of coaches and were extremely impressed by the quality, experience and different perspectives presented throughout the process.

“Brad stood out through his technical and tactical knowledge, his experience in championship-winning environments, his understanding of player development and, importantly, his ability to build strong relationships.

“He has coached at the highest levels of the game, has led his own professional programme and understands what is required to develop a clear Fijian rugby identity and create a consistently successful high-performance environment.

“Brad also understands that coaching the Fijian Drua carries responsibilities extending beyond the field. Our purpose is to win Super Rugby Pacific, inspire a nation and change lives for the better.

“He has embraced that responsibility and we firmly believe Brad is the right person to lead the next phase of our journey.

“He will lead an exciting blend of coaching staff that will combine international experience with a strong local connection.”

Mooar said he was honoured to be appointed to one of the most unique and high-profile coaching roles in Southern Hemisphere rugby.

“It’s a tremendous honour to be given the opportunity to lead the Drua and coach Fiji’s team in Super Rugby Pacific. What drew me to this role is the chance to work with such wonderful athletes, to be part of a culture and a people I deeply admire, and to help build something meaningful for the nation.

“I believe there are enormous opportunities for us to play a special brand of rugby that is successful, entertaining and inspiring. We want to inspire the country, win championships and continue to grow our people and the game in Fiji by creating something the country can be truly proud of. My family and I are very excited to join the Club, meet everyone and become part of the Drua vuvale. We can’t wait.”

Background

He began his coaching career in Christchurch club rugby before working within Canterbury’s age-grade programme.

Mooar moved to South Africa in 2012, coaching with the Eastern Province Kings and Southern Kings, before returning to New Zealand as head coach and Director of Rugby at Southland.

He joined the Crusaders coaching staff in 2016 and helped guide the franchise to Super Rugby titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Mooar then joined Scarlets as head coach before returning to New Zealand to become part of the All Blacks coaching group.

He joined Scotland’s coaching staff for the 2023 Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup before returning to the Crusaders.

A former Mid Canterbury first five-eighth, Mooar is also a qualified lawyer. Mooar will officially start with the Fijian Drua in September 2026 to prepare for the Men’s pre-season.

Next

Further announcements regarding the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Men’s coaching group will be made in due cours