Ifereimi Rawaqa has been named the interim head coach for the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua Women as they prepare for the 2025 Super Rugby Women season. Rawaqa, who currently serves as the men’s skills and development coach for the Fijian Drua, succeeds Mosese Rauluni, who resigned after the recent WXV competition in Dubai. This decision was made jointly by the Drua and the Fiji Rugby Union.
Mark Evans, the CEO of Fijian Drua, expressed gratitude to Rawaqa for stepping into the interim role as the team gears up for the important 2025 Super W campaign. He praised Rawaqa as a highly respected figure in Fijian rugby, affirming that the women’s team will benefit from his leadership this season. Rawaqa’s temporary role will also allow the organization to carefully search for a permanent head coach.
Rawaqa commented on his new position, stating it is an honor to lead the Drua women in the upcoming Super W season and emphasizing the significance of this period as it lays the groundwork for Fiji’s 2025 Rugby World Cup preparations. He plans to work closely with the assistant coaches and the Fiji Rugby Union’s high-performance unit to enhance the squad’s depth. Underlining the team’s strong history, he noted that the Drua women have won the championship twice and reached three consecutive grand finals in the Super W.
Rawaqa has been a significant part of the Drua coaching staff, overseeing recruitment and player development. He has recently led efforts at the soon-to-be-launched Drua Academy for young players aged 17 to 18 and was involved in selecting its first cohort.
With 44 Test caps as a player, Rawaqa is a seasoned figure in Fijian rugby, having participated in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups and contributed to the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens victory. He holds a World Rugby Level 3 coaching accreditation and began his coaching career in 2013 with the Lautoka Rugby Under-20 team. His experience also includes roles in Australia as well as coaching positions with Fiji Warriors and Fiji U20 teams.
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