Fiji have found a replacement for Rugby World Cup hero Simon Raiwarui, according to reports in New Zealand.
Raiwalui took charge of the Pacific Islanders following Vern Cotter's sudden departure just seven months before the World Cup.
The 49-year-old Fiji's accomplished manager had a big job on his hands, but he guided Fiji to the quarter-finals of the world tournament following an impressive win over the Wallabies.
Not long until the semi-finals
Once there, they played against England and put up a great fight, tying the match 24-24 before the Red Roses won 30-24.
Raiwarui was withdrawn from that game to take up a high-performance role in World Rugby, with his position at the Flying Fijians set to be filled by Mick Byrne. new zealand herald I will report it.
Mr Byrne is currently the head coach of Fiji Dorua and last year led them to the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs for the first time.
The 65-year-old is highly regarded around the world, particularly for his work as a skills coach with Leinster before moving on to the international stage.
The former Australian rules football star joined Scotland in 2003 before moving to the All Blacks and spent 10 years with the team, helping them win back-to-back World Cups in 2011 and 2015.
After the conclusion of the world tournament in England, Byrne joined his native Australia as a skills guru, serving in the role for a four-year cycle.
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Landmark Finish by Drua
In 2021, Byrne was announced as manager of Dorua ahead of his first Super Rugby match in 2022 (his first stint as head coach), and achieved breakthrough results in 2023.
They finished their second season in the competition in seventh place and advanced to the quarter-finals, losing to the eventual champions, the Crusaders.
As of 2024, Drua have won their three home games but lost their four away games, leaving them in seventh place once again.
It is reported that Byrne will step down from his role with the team at the end of the season and join up with the national team for the international games in mid-year.
His first challenge as manager of the Flying Fijians will be against the Barbarians in June, with his first official test in Georgia two weeks later.
They then play a match against Spain before facing the difficult task of facing Scott Robertson's New Zealand team in San Diego.
Byrne defeated Robertson's Crusaders during the 2023 Super Rugby regular season, but the new All Blacks manager got his revenge in the play-offs.
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