Fiji Water Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne is enthusiastic about the opportunity to assist provincial teams in the Skipper Cup competition, provided that coaches are open to his involvement during their training sessions. His goal is to enhance the game at all levels and align teams with the standards required for Super Rugby and international Test rugby.
Despite the abundance of talent in Fiji, with many players participating in the Skipper Cup competition, the overall skill level remains below that of Super Rugby players. Byrne has attended numerous Skipper Cup games and observed various players, noting that some Skipper Cup athletes eventually join the Drua. He mentioned that they monitor and manage the performance of these players closely, revealing that their output this season has been approximately 60% of what is expected in Super Rugby.
Byrne emphasized that Super Rugby sets the bar for fitness and intensity, a benchmark that the Fijian Drua aims to match each season. He believes that Skipper Cup teams could significantly improve if they collaborated with the Drua on fitness training and intensity standards.
He encouraged Skipper Cup coaches to engage with the Drua, highlighting that the team trains year-round for 33 weeks. This season, the only Skipper Cup team to spend time at the Drua’s training base in Nadi was Nadroga, which allowed them to gain insights into a professional rugby environment.
As this initiative develops, Byrne and the Fiji Rugby Union are exploring pathways to bridge the gap between provincial teams and the national squad. He outlined a progression from Skipper Cup to Warriors, from Warriors to Drua, and finally to the Flying Fijians, advocating for the need to standardize preparedness across levels. It is critical that Skipper Cup players receive adequate training to ensure they are suited for the intensity of Test rugby.
New Fijian Drua coach Glen Jackson has also expressed his willingness to collaborate with Skipper Cup teams in the upcoming season.