A new head coach for the Fijiana women’s rugby sevens team will be appointed to begin in 2025, as announced by Fiji Rugby Union interim Trustees chairman Peter Mazey. This decision follows the end of Saiasi Fuli’s contract as head coach, which concludes in December.
Mazey stated that after extensive discussions with Fuli, the decision was made to advertise the coaching position. The announcement for the recruitment will be made in the media within the next week.
The Fiji Rugby Union is currently on the lookout for a suitable candidate who can lead the women’s team into a new phase. The new coach will need to develop and implement a high-performance strategy aimed at forming a competitive team.
Mazey noted that all current contracts for the women’s sevens players have expired following the Olympics, except for Younis Bese and Heleina Young, who will remain under contract until the end of the year.
Fuli expressed gratitude to the Fiji Rugby Union for the opportunity to coach the national women’s sevens team, describing the experience as challenging due to his background in men’s coaching. He recalled his tenure as assistant coach to Gareth Baber and the difficulties faced in guiding the team over the past five years.
In related news, Osea Kolinisau will continue as the head coach of the Fiji men’s sevens rugby team for the next four years. Mazey highlighted Kolinisau’s impressive performance in recent months as evidence of his capability and vision. He has significant plans for the future, which will be disclosed in due course. Kolinisau’s primary goal will be to secure a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.