Ifereimi Rawaqa, the Fijian Drua men’s skills and development coach, has been appointed as interim head coach for the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua Women in the upcoming 2025 Super Rugby Women campaign. Rawaqa takes over from Mosese Rauluni, who resigned from the role after the recent WXV competition in Dubai. The announcement was made by the Drua and the Fiji Rugby Union.
Mark Evans, the chief executive officer of Fijian Drua, expressed gratitude for Rawaqa’s acceptance of the position, emphasizing his high regard within the coaching community in Fiji and the region. Evans highlighted the importance of Rawaqa’s leadership during the preparation for the 2025 Super W campaign, stating that this interim role allows for a thorough recruitment process for a permanent head coach.
Rawaqa stated it was an honor to lead the Drua Women and recognized the significance of the upcoming season as a foundation for Fiji’s preparations for the 2025 Rugby World Cup. He outlined his intention to work closely with the assistant coaches and the Fiji Rugby Union’s high-performance unit to enhance the squad’s depth.
The Drua Women have a commendable history in the Super W, having won the championship twice in three years and reaching three consecutive grand finals. Rawaqa plans to commence pre-season activities earlier and looks forward to collaborating with players and staff.
Rawaqa has been a key figure within the Drua coaching staff, overseeing recruitment and player development pathways. He has also headed the high-performance setup for the forthcoming Drua Academy, recently selecting its inaugural cohort.
With 44 Tests as a Flying Fijian, Rawaqa participated in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cup campaigns and was part of the victorious 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens team. He holds a World Rugby Level 3 coaching accreditation, beginning his coaching career with the Lautoka Rugby Under-20 team in 2013 and progressing to various coaching roles, including with the Fijian Latui and Fiji Warriors.
Most recently, Rawaqa served as the head coach for Fiji’s U20 team in both the Oceania competition and the World Rugby Championship in South Africa, where they performed admirably.
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