Kele, Bai join Drua W
THE Fiji Rugby Union and the Fijian Drua are delighted to announce the latest additions to the coaching staff of the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua Women, with the appointment of two distinguished Flying Fijians, Kele Leawere and Seremaia Bai.
With a combined total of 78 Flying Fijians caps, Leawere and Bai bring extensive international playing and coaching experience to their roles in assisting head coach Moses Rauluni.
Their appointments mark a significant milestone as the Drua Women set their sights on a historic third consecutive title in the 2024 Super Rugby Women’s competition.
Leawere, a former Flying Fijians captain, boasts a notable playing career with 25 caps for the national team. Transitioning seamlessly into coaching, Leawere has contributed to both provincial and national levels. His recent role included overseeing the
Fiji Rugby Union’s highperformance unit as an academy coach.
Leawere is no stranger to the women’s rugby scene, having served as a Fijiana 15s assistant coach and as an assistant coach for the Drua Women in the previous season.
Additionally, he played a pivotal role in player development as the Fiji Under-20 head coach in 2019, and locally he has coached Navosa and Nadroga in the Vanua Championship and Skipper Cup, respectively.
Bai, a former national flyhalf, adds another layer of expertise to the coaching staff with 53 appearances and 321 points in the white and black jersey.
Recognised as an accomplished coach, Bai’s most recent role was as an assistant coach for the Flying Fijians at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. His coaching experience extends across various teams, including stints as head coach for Fijiana 15s (2015), Eastern
Saints Rugby Club (2020), Suva Rugby 10s, Fiji Rugby Academy U18 7s, Nasinu provincial, and Lelean Memorial School U19 during the 2017 Deans secondary schools competition.
The appointments of Leawere and Bai were met with excitement by the Fiji Rugby Union Board of Trustees chairman, Peter Mazey, who expressed delight in welcoming them to the Drua Women’s coaching team.
He emphasised the importance of these additions in the ongoing development of the women’s program, highlighting their roles in mentoring, player development, and coaching.
Fijian Drua CEO Mark Evans echoed Mazey’s sentiments, stating, “We want to ensure our female players continue their glittering reputation of Super Rugby Women champions. We aim to provide the women’s program with the best possible resources, and coaches play a big part in that. With Moses Rauluni at the helm, assisted by Kele, Bai, and other quality support staff, they’ll be able to perform at their very best at both levels of competition. The two Assistant Coaches are highly regarded in the rugby community, making them a perfect fit for their roles.”
The Fijian Drua Women’s team is gearing up for their 2024 Super Rugby Women campaign, set to kick off on Sunday, March 17, at Brisbane’s Ballymore Stadium against the Queensland Reds.