The Vodafone Fijiana XV team is currently without a coach as they prepare for the Women’s Rugby World Cup set to take place in England from August 22 to September 27 next year. This situation follows the resignation of head coach Mosese Rauluni last Wednesday. His contract with the Fiji Rugby Union expired after their last match in the WXV 3 tournament against Spain, resulting in a narrow loss with a score of 8-10.
Fijiana concluded the WXV 3 tournament in fourth place. Inoke Male, a former head coach, has yet to decide whether he will apply for the coaching position once it is advertised, while Senirusi Seruvakula has confirmed he will not be applying. Male expressed, “I will decide when the time comes,” and elaborated on the team’s performance by noting, “There are some misunderstandings regarding players and management, and (only) the girls need to answer those questions.”
He acknowledged the contributions of Qarani, Gau, who was born in Australia, to both the Drua and the Fijiana teams. Male previously signed a three-year contract last year with the intention of leading the national women’s team to the upcoming World Cup. However, after just 10 months, he was advised to re-apply for his position and ultimately chose not to do so.
Rauluni’s tenure lasted nine months before he resigned, citing the team’s performance not meeting the high standards he had established. He opted to return to Australia to be with his family. During his time as coach, Fijiana qualified for the 2025 Rugby World Cup following a victory in the 2024 Oceania Championship and guided the Fijian Drua women to their third consecutive final, though they did not retain their Super W title.
The Fijiana team, led by captain Karalaini Naisewa, ended the WXV 3 season with just one win. Their final match against Spain was fiercely contested, with Spain demonstrating strong defensive skills that hindered Fijiana from playing their desired style of rugby. Fiji took the lead in the 20th minute through a penalty by fullback Luisa Tisolo but quickly fell behind after a yellow card for Aviame Veidreyaki allowed Spain to score a converted try.
In the final stages of the match, Spain extended their lead to 10-3 with another penalty kick in the 76th minute. Adita Milinia scored an unconverted try for Fiji just before full-time, narrowing the deficit to 10-8. Although Luisa Tisolo had an opportunity to equalize the match with a conversion attempt, she missed, completing the game and allowing Samoa to claim the title. Samoa secured their spot in England for their first Women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014 by defeating Madagascar 46-15, ensuring at least second place in the tournament. In another match, the Netherlands celebrated their debut tournament’s conclusion with a 33-3 win against Hong Kong China, finishing third overall.