The new head coach of the Fijian Drua, Mick Byrne, is excited to play his part in shaping a new wave of local rugby talent.
Mick Byrne Photo: Photosport
The former All Blacks and Wallabies skills coach has worked alongside a pool of talented Fijian players, including Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Marika Koroibete to name a few.
But now players have the opportunity to make it big at home, with the inclusion of the Fijian Drua in the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific competition in 2022.
Well aware of the talent pool in New Zealand and Australia, Byrne believes Fiji are more than capable of matching them on the field.
Photo: Fiji Rugby
"Fiji haven't in the past been able to keep players in the country, [but] the Drua give them that pathway, and in time, some of those players that have made a big name for themselves overseas will make a big name for themselves with the Drua," he said.
"In the short term, it's exciting to be giving players the opportunity to come back and play for the Drua but also for the young players coming through, so I'm really excited by what that talent brings at the moment."
The Fijian Drua have announced 10 signings for the club's debut campaign, including two Olympic gold medallist and four current senior internationals.
Reflecting on Fijian players he's coached in the past, Byrne said he was excited about the possibilities and opportunities for talented players on the island.
The first five faces of Fijian Drua⛵. pic.twitter.com/nCYHyu0HCn
— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) September 20, 2021
"I've been fortunate enough to coach at the top end of the game and this is a great opportunity for me now to come back and look at the future 18 and 19 year-olds that want to get to that level and help them grow to be those types of players in the future."
"All I know is my experience from coaching these players...some very, very good and great Fijian players, is that they want to express themselves, they love the game, and I can't wait to have 30 of them on the same training track."
The 62 year-old was appointed the role on a two year term, following a selection process of up to 50 applications.
He has 23-years experience coaching at an international level, including two Rugby World Cups, five Tri-Nations titles, five Rugby Championships, 11 Bledisloe Cups (with the All Blacks), three Asian Cups and a Pacific Nations Cup (with Japan).
Now Byrne is targeting finals footy with the Fijian side in his maiden year.
The Fijian Drua celebrate winning the 2018 NRC Minor Premiership and the Horan-Little Shield. Photo: Fiji Rugby
"When I look at this competition, two thirds of the teams that are playing in this competition are going to make the finals, so it's a realistic goal," he said.
"That gives us a real target to go after and I'm sure if you ask any one of our players, they want to be playing finals and I'm sure they'll be giving you the same answer... it's certainly on our horizon, and we're really looking forward to mapping a path that will allow us to do that."
Byrne said his expectations were high, but the natural flair of Fijian rugby was key to how they perform in their inaugural season.
"It's about making sure that all our players can come in and express what they're naturally gifted with," he said.
"Our expectation is to play exciting rugby...the sort of style and our expectations we have are going to be based on our squad, it certainly won't be coming in with implanting any sort of style into the team."
"At this stage it's very early days, but we'll look to get our squad together and then we can start to work on our big season plans."
Technical aspects including Fiji's kicking game will also be an area of focus, he added.
Photo: Rugby Australia
"Utilizing a kicking game that adds strength to your attacking game will create another dimension."
"We've got our run, we've got our sort of run in a pass, but once we add a kick to it and we become three dimensional or a triple threat, it's going to add value to our running and passing game... that's something I'm looking forward to working with our coaching staff and developing as we prepare ourselves for our first season."
The Fijian Drua will be based in Australia for its inaugural season in the competition, and are scheduled to arrive in mid-October.
The team is scheduled to play two trial matches against Super Rugby teams on January 28 and February 10, before kick-off on February 18.
Former Fiji captain and general manager of high performance, Simon Raiwalui, said it had been an emotional journey for him and others who have been deeply involved in Fiji Rugby for a long time.
Simon Raiwalui played 43 tests for Fiji. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"Being a past player and just seeing how much we've grown since when I first started, seeing the opportunities for our players - both men and women - that are growing each year, that is huge and it fills me with pride to see where we're going," he said.
"We know the path is going to be a difficult one, it's not going to always be easy, but it's a start and we want to build continuously through to the next World Cup 2027, and this is just only going to aid them in that process."
Super Rugby Pacific is going to be massive for Fijian rugby, he added.
"We've talked about the Drua being very special in our pathways now because it's filling that jigsaw piece that's been missing from age-grade up to the Flying Fijians."
"Being able to give that talent opportunities to play from a Fijian team is going to be huge, and it's going to be huge for Fijian rugby in general," Simon Raiwalui.
