WILL NEW HEAD COACH LIFT FIJIAN RUGBY?
Any rugby player who wants to represent the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians under new head coach Vern Cotter must be prepared to work hard.
“Hard work and fair,” were the words of Cotter during an interview with SUNsports last week indicating that there will be no special privileges given to any player.
The New Zealand-born champion coach starts work in July after his contract with French Top 14 club Montpellier ends in June.
Cotter is the first established international coach to lead the Flying Fijians after a lapse of 19 years.
The first was the late Australian Wallabies head coach Greg Smith, who coached us from 2000-2001 but quit due to health reasons. Former head coaches Brad Johnstone, the late Mac McCallion, Wayne Pivac (current Wales coach) and John McKee started their international coaching career with the Flying Fijians. Acquiring such an experienced coach like Cotter with a proven track record has led to Fiji Rugby Union chairman Commander Francis Kean labelling his signing as a coup for the union.
This is big plus for Fiji Rugby. “Following an extensive recruitment process with many outstanding applications, the board is pleased to have secured such an exceptional candidate in Vern Cotter for the top job of Flying Fijians head coach,” Kean said.
“We are committed to support this new head coach with the resources he needs to manage a high performance programme that develops the widespread talent available in order to progress Fiji Rugby back up the world rugby rankings.”
An investment for the future
To be the best in the rugby world you’ve got to get the best.
The FRU has bitten the bullet and taken on the financial challenge, along with the Fiji National Sports Commission.
It’s an investment for the future of Fiji Rugby.
Cotter knows the abundance of talented players in the country especially with the performance of the Vodafone Fijian Under-20 and the Fiji Airways Fijian Drua team in the Australian National Rugby Championship.
“I was impressed with the game they played against the Barbarians last November after the World Cup,” he said.
“Some good performances from young players I understand aren’t professionals here in Europe. It’s going to be exciting.”
Local-based players dominated the Flying Fijians line-up as they upset a star studded Barbarians 33-31 in Twickenham.
They may get more chances under the new coach
In France, Cotter has worked with players like Napolioni Nalaga, Seremaia Bai, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Nemani Nadolo and Timoci Naqusa.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with the talent within the national teams and enhance the competitiveness of Fiji on the world stage,” he said.
Development
Not only that, Cotter in his role will also focus on coach development and succession planning through the upskilling of local coaches like Senirusi Seruvakula, Koli Sewabu, Kele Leawere, Inoke Male and Ifereimi Rawaqa.
This is to prepare them as potential successors for the Flying Fijians coaching position.
As we countdown to Cotter’s arrival, let’s be assured that exciting times are ahead for us.
Even the rugby world is anxious to see what Cotter can produce with the Fijians after he became the most successful Scotland coach in this era of professionalism.
If there is anything we take our cue from then what Alex King told Rugby Pass could mean we’re the team to beat come the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
King, a former Wasps and England first five-eighth, played under Cotter at Clermont before assuming the backs coaching role which he continued at Montpellier prior to moving to Brive this season.
He has seen at close hand what effect Cotter can have on players and his ability to create a winning team.
With so many Fijian players operating in France, Cotter knows exactly what challenges he faces and King is confident that over the next three years his old boss will create a team that the rest of the sport will fear at the 2023 World Cup.
Long live Fijian Rugby!