Fiji men’s rugby sevens head coach Osea Kolinisau has expressed his commitment to leading the team through to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He shared this during the team’s arrival at Nadi International Airport.
Kolinisau, who took over as head coach just four months prior to the Paris Olympics, successfully led the team to a silver medal. He stated, “My heart has always been for Fiji and I love the opportunity to build that team for the next four years.” The former captain of the gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Rio Olympics acknowledged the presence of many young players in the squad but also emphasized the importance of his family in the decision-making process. “If it is okay with the family, I’ll be excited if allowed (to stay) for four years,” he added.
He plans to meet with the Fiji Rugby Union interim Trustees this week to present his report, with expectations of learning the outcome by next week. Kolinisau confirmed that he had signed a six-month contract prior to the Olympics.
“I’ll see what they want. I want to stay but it’s up to them. I’m proud of the nucleus of the team right now,” he noted, highlighting the potential within the young squad aged between 24 to 26 years. “We know the standard that we are supposed to be playing in. We have a base that we can build on if we are given the opportunity.”
Fiji Rugby Union interim Trustees chairman Peter Mazey praised Kolinisau’s achievements, stating, “Look I am a fan of what he has done. He came in with only four months and we went from not achieving anything in 22 tournaments to silver in the Olympics. That’s an incredible achievement.” Mazey confirmed that Kolinisau is eager to continue and that the board is willing to work with him on extending his contract.
In a related matter, Mazey mentioned the concerns surrounding the women’s team, which finished last at the Paris Olympics without securing a single win. He noted, “We have not got the reports yet. The trustees are meeting on Wednesday and hope to get the reports in. We all know that something happened and we did not win.” Coach Fuli has indicated his intention to step away from coaching the women’s team to focus on coaching in 15s rugby.