Fiji delay naming of Raiwalui successor as French coach gets backing

The Fiji Rugby Union has announced that the selection of a new head coach will take longer than expected. Simon Raiwalui’s tenure came to an end following the Rugby World Cup in France.

The Fiji Sun was informed by FRU interim chairman Peter Mazey that an earlier announcement scheduled for this week has been rescheduled while the selection panel continues to evaluate the merits of the shortlist.

Former head of the Fiji High Performance Unit Barrie-Jon Mather had stated that the process will be finished this week. According to local media, there has been a delay because Franck Boivert, a Flying Fijian player playing in Europe, is reportedly lobbying to be included in the final round of selection.

Boivert, a French national who has lived in Fiji for 27 years, was the director of coaching for Fiji Rugby before taking on the role at Nadroga Rugby.

After making it to the second round of interviews last week, Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne—who led the team to the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs last season—and interim head coach Senirusi Seruvakula were anticipated to be the two top candidates in the hat. Two additional coaches involved in the process are Frans Ludeke of South Africa and Daryl Gibson of New Zealand.

“As we wait for references (for the candidates) and other information like contracts to be looked at, the final decision hasn’t been made,” Mazey stated. Our goal is to obtain and review the information. To make sure the best candidate is chosen, we are taking our time in the selection process.

“There won’t be an announcement, but we were hoping to do it by the end of the week.”

Sailosi Naiteqe Sr., a former head coach of Naitasiri and a rugby selector for Fiji 7s, has shown support for Boivert throughout the process, saying that FRU should appoint Boivert to lead the Flying Fijians. Boivert served as a coach, development officer, HPU manager, and technical adviser for clubs, provinces, and the national team of rugby in Fiji.

The winning applicant will be expected to live full-time in Fiji and oversee the management of the complete high-performance system on the islands, as Mazey has previously stated. While residing overseas, some former coaches have flown in and out of Fiji for training sessions.

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