The Vodafone Fijiana XV is currently without a coach as it approaches the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, scheduled for August 22 to September 27 next year. This situation follows the resignation of head coach Mosese Rauluni last Wednesday, with his contract officially ending after the team’s recent WXV 3 match against Spain, where they suffered a narrow defeat of 8-10.
The Fijiana team concluded the WXV 3 tournament in fourth place. Former head coach Inoke Male has not yet decided whether he will apply for the vacant position when it becomes available, while Senirusi Seruvakula has stated he will not pursue the role. Male indicated he would make a decision in due time and commented on the team’s performance, noting there were misunderstandings between players and management that the players would need to address.
Male acknowledged Australian-born Qarani Gau for his contributions to both the Drua and the Fijiana team. Like Rauluni, Male had signed a three-year contract last year and was set to lead the women’s national team into next year’s World Cup. However, after ten months in the role, he was advised to reapply and chose not to do so.
Rauluni held his coaching position for nine months before resigning, a decision influenced by the team’s results not meeting the high performance standards he had established. He opted to return to Australia for family reasons. During his time with the Fijiana, the team qualified for the 2025 Rugby World Cup by winning the 2024 Oceania Championship and guided the Fijian Drua women’s team to their third consecutive final, although they were unsuccessful in defending their Super W title.
In their last outing, under the captaincy of Karalaini Naisewa, Fijiana managed only one win during the WXV 3 tournament, which concluded their 2024 season. The match against Spain was fiercely contested, with both teams eager for a crucial victory. Spain demonstrated strong defense, limiting Fijiana’s ability to play freely.
Fiji opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a penalty kick from fullback Luisa Tisolo, leading 3-0 momentarily. However, Fijiana’s lack of discipline became costly when Spain capitalized on a yellow card issued to Aviame Veidreyaki to score a converted try, taking the lead. In the 76th minute, Spain increased their lead to 10-3 with another penalty.
Adita Milinia scored an unconverted try for Fijiana right at full-time, closing the gap to 10-8. Fullback Luisa Tisolo had a chance to convert and draw the match with the final kick, but her attempt was wide, allowing Spain to celebrate their victory. Meanwhile, Samoa secured a ticket to England for their first Women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014, following a decisive win against Madagascar. The Netherlands also wrapped up their debut tournament on a high note with a bonus-point victory over Hong Kong China.