Glen Jackson will leave the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua, the club confirmed at 11am today, ending a five-year association with the franchise and bringing an abrupt close to his spell as head coach less than two years into that role. The departure follows a mutual decision between Jackson and the club not to activate the third-year option in his coaching contract, the statement said.
Jackson was promoted to the top job last season after Mick Byrne departed to take up the head coaching role with the FIJI Water Flying Fijians. The club’s chief executive, Jeff Miller, thanked Jackson for his commitment and work, saying the immediate priority remains the Drua’s push to finish the Super Rugby Pacific season before the organisation and its supporters take time to reflect on the coach’s contribution.
In his own tribute, Jackson described his time with the Drua as “an incredible five years of my life,” and offered thanks to the club and stakeholders. The club’s announcement did not outline Jackson’s next steps or provide details of any potential successors, and there was no indication an immediate replacement has been named.
The timing of the announcement places the team on the eve of a significant fixture: the Drua are scheduled to play the ACT Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra at 9.30pm this Friday. Miller’s emphasis on finishing the season underlines the club’s intent to maintain focus on on-field performance as it manages the coaching transition through the remainder of the campaign.
Jackson’s exit is the latest development in a period of movement for Fijian rugby coaching ranks, following Byrne’s elevation to the national side and other recent reshuffles across the region. For the Drua, who compete in the Super Rugby Pacific competition under the Swire Shipping sponsorship banner, stability in leadership will be a key talking point as they prepare for the coming fixtures.
The club said it would provide further comment on coaching arrangements in due course. In the short term, attention will turn to the Canberra match, where the team must regroup and deliver while the front office clarifies the path forward for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
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