Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne views his role as more of a facilitator rather than a traditional authoritative figure. Speaking on the Maul or Nothing podcast, Byrne emphasized that following the success of last year’s Rugby World Cup, he plans to continue with the strategies that have been effective for the team, but aims to enhance and improve them.
“I’m not going to impose my authority on the group like some other coaches do,” remarked Byrne.
The 66-year-old coach believes it is essential to understand the players and determine what works best for them. This involves skillset training to identify their abilities and build their game from there, challenging them to improve in areas where they may struggle.
“Great players enjoy these challenges as it motivates them to improve in areas they are struggling with, continually asking questions to become better,” Byrne said. He sees his role as bringing out the best in the players, allowing them to thrive without being restricted or constrained.
Byrne also discussed the recent tour to England, where they played the Barbarians outside the July Test window, highlighting the challenge of securing player releases from their respective clubs. “It was all new to me,” he said, noting that in his extensive coaching career in Australia and New Zealand, this had never been an issue due to the Giteau Law and managed player involvement.
He acknowledged the need to adapt to this new challenge and expressed his intention to start building relationships with the clubs for better cooperation moving forward. Byrne is expected to soon announce the Flying Fijians squad for the Pacific Nations Cup, where they will host Samoa on August 23 before traveling to Nukua’lofa to play Tonga on September 6.
In other news, three Fijian Drua players have been confirmed to play in the New Zealand National Provincial Championship (NPC). Forwards Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta will play for Tasman Mako, Haereiti Hetet for Bay of Plenty, and Isaia Armstrong-Ravula for Manawatu Turbos. The NPC starts on August 9, and the players will rejoin the Drua for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific competition.