Osea Kolinisau, the head coach of Fiji’s men’s rugby sevens team, expressed his commitment to leading the squad through to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He made this announcement during the team’s arrival at Nadi International Airport yesterday.
Kolinisau, who stepped into the coaching role just four months before the Paris Olympics, successfully guided the team to a silver medal. He shared his dedication to Fiji, stating, “My heart has always been for Fiji, and I love the opportunity to build that team for the next four years.” He acknowledged the presence of many young players on the team but also mentioned the importance of considering his family’s support for a long-term commitment.
This week, Kolinisau plans to meet with the interim Trustees of the Fiji Rugby Union to present his report and hopes to receive feedback by next week. He confirmed that he signed a six-month contract prior to the Olympics.
He expressed his desire to continue coaching, saying, “I want to stay, but it’s up to them. I’m proud of the current team, which has a lot of young players aged between 24 to 26. We know the expectations we need to meet, and we have a strong foundation to build on if given the opportunity.”
Peter Mazey, chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union interim Trustees, praised Kolinisau for his accomplishments. He highlighted the coach’s rapid success, noting the team’s transition from not achieving medals in 22 tournaments to securing silver in the Olympics in just four months.
Mazey also mentioned that they are looking into the performance of the women’s team, which finished last in the Paris Olympics without winning any matches. He stated that the trustees are awaiting reports to understand the circumstances surrounding that outcome. It has been reported that Fuli, the women’s team coach, has expressed his intention to step down from coaching the women’s team and pursue opportunities in 15s coaching.