Fiji Rugby Union Trustees chair, Peter Mazey says the successful candidate for the Flying Fijians head coach role is expected to live in Fiji for the duration of his contract.
He said while the role necessitates a lot of international travel, the base of operations for this role is in Fiji as they want the coach to work closely with the local community as well.
Previously, overseas-picked coaches would only fly into the country a couple of months before competitions and would mostly rely on selectors and members of the extended coaching panel based locally.
“Fiji Rugby continues to develop into a strong contender on the world stage and we are hoping to secure the services of a coach who has a good proven record with World Rugby Level 3 Coaching Accreditation or Union specific equivalent (or higher).”
“A good coaching record is compulsory and the candidates should have served previously as head coach leading High Performance Rugby Teams at International, Super Rugby (or equivalent level) within the last 12 months.”
“Simon (Raiwalui) has left the team in a great place. We achieved so much under him so definitely there will be a lot of expectations from the new coach. I am sure the recruiting agency Global Elite Sports will pick the best man for the job.”
“They are a reputable agency and have picked coaches for some top tier one nations.”
The Flying Fijians Head Coach is responsible for the overall leadership, selection and coaching of the National Men’s XVs Senior Team.
The new position holder will ultimately be responsible for team performance both on and off the field and will lead the team at all international competitions and tournaments, including the prestigious Rugby World Cup.
He will lead and provide the technical direction to the Men’s XVs high performance program and be actively involved in the development and support of high-potential Fijian players, and staff, across the performance pathway including the Fijian Drua Super Rugby Pacific franchise.
Setting the HP team culture, standards and behaviours is fundamental to this role.
As well as leading the players, coaches, performance support, management and operational staff the Head Coach plays an important and high profile ambassadorial role for the team, the broader Fiji Rugby Union and the game within Fiji, the Pacific and across the globe.
Applications for the position closes on 12 January 2024 and Senirusi Seruvakula is currently acting in the role.
