White in contention for Flying Fijians coaching role

Former Springboks World Cup-winning coach Jake White is reportedly in con­tention to take charge of the Fly­ing Fijians at next year's Rugby World Cup in Australia.

According to Afrikaans publica­tion Rapport, the 62-year-old is among the leading candidates and has emerged as the favourite for the position.

"He is on their shortlist and is regarded as the favourite. In Fiji, they are already talking about him as the new head coach," a source told Rapport.

Fiji have been without a perma­nent head coach since Mick Byrne stepped down in April, with Se­nirusi Seruvakula taking over on an interim basis. Under Seruvaku­la, the Flying Fijians finished the inaugural Nations Championship without a win.

The appointment of a new head coach was expected to be finalised this week. Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer Koli Sewabu told SUNSports last week that the pro­cess was nearing completion, with final approval from the board still required.

White is currently a consultant at Selborne College in East London and previously served as director of rugby at the Bulls from 2020 to 2025.

If appointed, the role would mark White's return to international head coaching for the first time since 2007, when he guided South Africa to Rugby World Cup glory in France.

The former Bulls boss has previ­ously expressed his desire to re­turn to Test rugby.

"I was 40 when I coached South Africa, and before I turned 44, I won the World Cup and had fin­ished coaching them," he told Rug­by Pass earlier this year.

"I still think I have unfinished business at Test level."

White could face his former team should he take the

Fiji job, with the Flying Fijians scheduled to meet South Africa in a World Cup warm-up Test in Gosford on September 18, 2027.

It is understood former Wales head coach Warren Galland was also among the 31 applicants for the posi­tion.

Fiji have been drawn in Pool C at the 2027 Rugby World Cup alongside Argentina, Canada and Spain.

The successful candidate will be contracted for 14 months, cover­ing next year's Rugby World Cup (RWC) in Australia, and will re­port to General Manager High Per­formance Nacani Cawanibuka.

Performance will be assessed based on results against Tier 1 nations, progress beyond the World Cup pool stage and improvement in Fiji's World Rugby ranking in 2027.

The post was advertised on Au­gust 22.