As part of its development strategy, the Ba Rugby Union is focusing on enhancing the skills of coaches, referees, medics, and strength and conditioning coaches across the province. BRU secretary Pastor Gaby Katoga emphasized that the area is extensive, making the initiative challenging.
“After COVID, we were essentially starting from scratch last year, and with the clubs being quite dispersed, logistical and financial challenges arise when organizing clinics,” Katoga noted. While the Fiji Rugby Union has been supportive, their development budget is also limited.
In 2024, Ba Rugby Union has organized seven days of clinics and will need to cover a larger portion of the expenses moving forward. This coming Monday and Tuesday, BRU and FRU will conduct level two coaching clinics for men’s head coaches in the eight tikina, or districts.
“We aim to foster development through the tikina,” Katoga stated. “If we can elevate the eight head coaches from the Ba Industries Cup to level two, they can transfer that expertise back to their tikina, sharing it with women’s and under-19 coaches and other clubs. This represents the pathway for our coaches and team management.”
If successful, Ba Rugby plans to advance these coaches to level three in 2025 while other promising coaches in each tikina begin their level two training.