Rugby World Cup-winning coach Jake White has been appointed head coach of Fiji, with the Flying Fijians handing him the job of leading them into the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The Fiji Rugby Union announced the 62-year-old South African at a news conference in Suva on Tuesday.
White, who guided the Springboks to the 2007 World Cup title, replaces Senirusi Seruvakula, according to RNZ and AAP via ESPN. Seruvakula was appointed on an interim basis in April and oversaw Fiji’s mid-year Tests in July and the 2026 Pacific Nations Cup.
RNZ reported White was one of 31 applicants for the role, with former Wales and British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards among the other high-profile names linked to the job.
First Test in Tokyo
White’s first assignment will be the centenary Test against Japan in Tokyo on 24 October, marking 100 years of the Japan Rugby Football Union, Fiji Rugby said. The Flying Fijians then travel to Europe for the November Nations Championship, where they face France, Ireland and Italy before a playoff match in London.
Read more: Wallabies Stun Springboks 42-38 After Surviving With 11 Men in Perth
What White said
“It is an incredible honour to be given the opportunity to lead the Flying Fijians. Fiji holds a special place in world rugby,” White said in the Fiji Rugby announcement.
“What excites me most about Fiji is the potential. This is a nation that has already shown it can challenge the world’s rugby powers. My responsibility is to work with the players, coaches and everyone involved in Fiji Rugby to build on that foundation and turn potential into consistent performances.
“I am not coming to Fiji to change what makes Fijian rugby special. I want to protect that identity, strengthen it and combine it with the structures, discipline and winning habits that will allow these players to express their talents on the biggest stage.”
Fiji Rugby chairman John Sanday said: “Jake understands what it takes to build a World Cup-winning team. His experience, leadership and championship mentality are exactly the qualities we want to bring into our preparations for Rugby World Cup 2027.”
Brumbies link and the road to 2027
White coached South Africa from 2004 to 2007 and steered the ACT Brumbies to the 2013 Super Rugby final, ESPN reported. Fiji Rugby said he has also held senior roles with the Sharks and Bulls in South Africa, Montpellier in France and Toyota Verblitz in Japan, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011.
Fiji have been drawn in Pool C with Argentina, Spain and Canada at the 2027 tournament, which starts on 1 October. They will be looking to improve on their quarter-final finish in France in 2023, a campaign that included a historic win over the Wallabies.
Read more: All Blacks Beat Wallabies 50-19, Retain Bledisloe Cup
White will also get a shot at his old side, with Fiji set to play South Africa in a World Cup warm-up match on the NSW Central Coast next September, according to ESPN.
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