Ifereimi Rawaqa has been appointed as the interim head coach for the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua Women as they prepare for the 2025 Super Rugby Women campaign. Rawaqa, who previously served as the skills and development coach for the Drua men’s team, takes over the role following the resignation of Mosese Rauluni after the WXV competition in Dubai.
Mark Evans, CEO of Fijian Drua, expressed gratitude for Rawaqa’s willingness to step into this interim position at such a crucial time. He praised Rawaqa as one of Fiji’s most respected coaches, emphasizing the confidence they have in his leadership ahead of the upcoming season.
Rawaqa expressed his honor at taking on the role, stating that this season is vital for the women’s team in their preparations for the 2025 Rugby World Cup. He plans to collaborate closely with assistant coaches and the Fiji Rugby Union’s high performance unit to strengthen the squad’s depth. The Drua women have a strong history in the Super W, having won the championship twice and reached three consecutive grand finals.
In addition to his new role, Rawaqa has played a key part in the Drua coaching staff, overseeing player recruitment and managing the development pathway for contracted players. He has also recently led the high-performance framework for the upcoming Drua Academy for schoolboys aged 17-18 and was instrumental in selecting the inaugural cohort of academy players.
Rawaqa has an impressive background as a player with 44 Test caps for Fiji, including participation in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups and being part of the victorious 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens team. His coaching qualifications include a World Rugby Level 3 accreditation, and he began his coaching career in 2013 with the Lautoka Rugby Under-20 team, advancing to head coach in 2014.
His professional journey includes a stint in Australia as a Rugby Talent ID and development officer, and he has previously coached various teams, including the Fiji Warriors and the Police team in the Ratu Sukuna Bowl. Most recently, Rawaqa was head coach of the Fiji U20 team at international competitions where they performed commendably.
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