Show initiative, Cotter urges teams, players
Fijiana XVs coach to be named soon, says Fiji Rugby Union’s chief executive officer
Fiji Airways Flying Fijians head coach Vern Cotter wants to see more initiative from teams playing in the Skipper Cup Premiership and Vodafone Vanua Championship.
Cotter told SUNsports after analysing the matches from the first round of the Skipper Cup, that they want the games to be played at a faster pace.
“Faster games with an uplift in ‘ball in play’more play move to the outsides, more passing not just one pass plays and contact,” Cotter said.
Cotter highlighted that there should be less time for scrum resets.
“They should be more accurate in body height and ball placement when the ball carrier is tackled.
“Also reading and exploiting unstructured play, decision making and developing set-pieces.”
The findings by Cotter and the coaching staff have been relayed to the development staff at Rugby House who have been liaising with respective coaches.
This resulted in a much mances last Saturday.
“Was nice to see some upsets in last week’s competition and generally better tempo,” Cotter added.
More is expected in today’s Skipper Cup matches where giant killers Lautoka Maroons are looking to claim Nadroga’s scalp at Churchill Park.
The Maroons scored an upset improved perfor11-7 win over
Suva and are confident of winning their third game. The match kicks-off at 3pm.
At the ANZ Stadium, defending champs Suva take on Farebrother- Sullivan Trophy holders Namosi at 2pm.
Winless Yasawa hosts Naitasiri at Nadovu Park, Lautoka while Nadi are favourites to beat Tailevu at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori. Both matches kicks-off at 3pm.
Fijiana XVs coach
Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer John O’Connor said they had already interviewed those who were shortlisted for the Fiji Airways Fijiana XVs head coach.
‘We’ve got the person we’ll recommend as coach but it will be presented to the board. If they endorse our recommendation then we’ll make the announcement,” O’Connor said.
Female coaches
Meanwhile, World Rugby will fund 12 coaching internships for women before the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
All nations competing in the tournament can nominate one coach to join their staff.
World Rugby says the aim of the initiative is to address a lack of female coaches at the elite level of the men’s and women’s game.
World Rugby has set itself a target of 40 per cent of all coaching staff at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup being women.
Of the 12 head coaches at the 2017 tournament, only one- or 8 per cent - was female. By comparison, at football’s 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 37 per cent, nine out of 24- of the team’s managers were women.
Katie Sadleir, World Rugby’s women’s general manager, said: “At the end of the (2021) World Cup, there will be 12 more women who can say on their CV that they have coached at a World Cup.