Former Fiji Airways Flying Fijians captain, Simon Raiwalui has been appointed as the new General Manager High Performance for the Fiji Rugby Union and he will take up this role on the 15th of next month.
Raiwalui has 39-test for the Flying Fijians and has also played for overseas clubs such as Sale club in Wales and Racing Metro 92 in France and he has also captained the Saracens club in the English Premiership Championship in 2015.
Most recently, Raiwalui has been the forwards Coach of the Wallabies at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Fiji Rugby Chairman Commander Francis Kean says Raiwalui was a standout amongst a number of high-caliber applicants and the Board and Executives were excited to appoint a former Flying Fijian into the top job.
Kean says the General Manager High-Performance is a critical role to the success of Fiji Rugby on the world stage and they are determined to secure the best possible candidate for the position.
He says Raiwalui’s appointment is in intended in providing the former national rugby representatives an opportunity of employment in coaching, high-performance, development or operations.
He further with Raiwalui being named as the as General Manager High-Performance and Senirusi Seruvakula as the Fijian Latui and Fijian Drua Head Coach, this should pave the way for either of the two taking the reins after the Rugby World Cup in 2023
Raiwalui will be supported by Fiji Rugby Union Elite Pathways Manager, Bill Gadolo and National Development Manager, Koli Sewabu.
He will be taking up his role ahead of the World Rugby Pacific Challenge and opening of the Global Rapid Rugby Competition in early March.
