Fiji beat New Zealand 33–5 in a men's Pool C match at the 2025 HSBC SVNS Perth at HBF Park on January 25, 2025 in Perth, Australia. Photo: Alex Ho / World Rugby
The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) says most Fijian rugby coaches still need to upskill their technical knowledge in certain aspects of the game before they can be given head coaching responsibilities.
Chief executive Rovereto Nayacalevu says this has been the main reason local coaches have missed out on leading Fiji's national teams in the top coaching roles.
He was responding to questions raised about why local coaches have been sidelined again following the FRU's announcement of new coaches for the Fijiana Sevens and national XVs teams.
Last week, the union revealed that New Zealander Richard Walker would coach the Fijiana Sevens, while Ian Cunningham is the new Fijiana XV head coach.
Nayacalevu said although some locals applied for the positions when they were advertised, none were selected, pointing to the areas still need improvement.
"They still lack knowledge and experience in certain technical areas that need to be addressed in our Coaching Development plans moving forward," he told RNZ Pacific.
"We need to ensure that, as a high-performance nation competing regularly at high-level competitions, our standards need to be at that required level, and this applies to all stakeholders.
"It is unfortunate that most of our local coaches have not had a 'strategic direction' for our technical officials.
"Whilst they are accredited and done the time coaching at domestic level they need to be provided an opportunity to extend their skills and experience base through international attachments to enable them to be operating at a HPU level needed of national coaches, competing regularly with Tier 1 Nations."
He said the FRU will continue to work with local coaches in upgrading them to the levels they need to be attain, as international demands warrant high-performance coaches to be at a certain level.
Local coaches had voiced their concerns about the latest coaching appointments, with Sailosi Naiteqe and Tomasi Cama Snr both calling out the FRU for sidelining local coaches and not giving them the opportunity to take over head coaching roles.
The two said they could not understand by Samoa and Tonga unions both appointed their own people to coach their national teams.
Nayacalevu said the FRU panel of selectors, which includes FRU rugby directors Cathy Wong and Koli Sewabu, plus High Performance Manager Bill Gadolo, had looked internally first before they searched for outside applicants who met the required criteria.
Moving forward
The former player said the national union is working with their development officers and coaches on moving things forward.
"There is now a plan for national coaches, who have been accredited, to upskill and be provided secondment opportunities to grow in coaching roles and be available for not only National Team selections but also make themselves available for rugby head coach and leadership opportunities with professional clubs and other rugby playing nations and unions," Nayacalevu said.
"International Rugby Coaches need a mix of technical, tactical, leadership and management skills to run respective rugby programs as head coach and moving forward FRU is working to ensure that gaps in our local capacities are addressed."
Nayacalevu said on the Fijiana XV's coaching role, current Fijiana Drua head coach Ifereimi Rawaqa was approached for the role but the former national rep said he was not ready and needed time to develop before putting his hands up for the role.
The Fijiana XV role is a short-term one at the moment, with new coach Cunnigham, given until the Women's Rugby World Cup later in the year.
Nayacalevu said Rawaqa will still be considered after that term has expired.
"The appointment of the Fijiana XV's coach is a short term appointment, till the end of the Womens RWC25 Campaign as it was critical that we got the right person to lead the campain in a short period of preparations time," he said.
"Our first option was to look internally for a local coach that had the capability to take on the role immediately after the resignation of Mosese Rauluni late last year. The only suitable coach was Ifereimi Rawaqa, who is with the Drua program.
"Normally the Fijiana XV's coach is also the Fijiana Drua Coach and when approcached Ifereimi indicated that the time was not right for him to take on the head coach role and asked if he could continue with his development program at the Drua until he is ready to take on the substantive Fijiana role.
"Ifereimi, as part of his upskilling and development program whilst now coaching the Fijiana Drua, will also work with the new Fijiana head coach during the RWC25 campaign, with a view to gaining the technical experience and knowledge to take on the role thereafter."
No World Rugby say
On whether World Rugby has any ifluence on who the selection panel selects as coaches, Nayacalevu said the FRU has its own strong views.
"The FRU was not influenced by World Rugby. As I indicated above this was a merit-based appointment, with majority of the panel being locals, who understood the requirements of the role and the need to look at availability of local capacity first as a key criteria ready to take on the roles," he said.
"The FRU does have a strong say on any appointments at Fiji Rugby and that responsibility is taken seriously by those appointed to panels. We look at local capacity as a first priority before we consider external resources.
"It is unfortunate that our current capacity does not meet the standards needed to lead National High Performance programs and this is being develop to ensure that moving forward these roles are made with local active coaches."
