Ten months after overseeing Fiji’s best World Cup victory by upsetting the Wallabies in Saint Etienne, Simon Raiwalui is about to develop into the pinnacle of efficiency on the Waratahs.
In a full-circle second for Raiwalui, who moved to Tempe in Sydney together with his mom at a younger age earlier than beginning out his outstanding rugby profession with Manly within the Shute Protect, the previous Fijian worldwide will develop into the Waratahs’ head of efficiency, The Roar understands.
It’s believed an announcement shall be made later this week, with Raiwalui having edged out Rebels basic supervisor and former Wallabies front-rower Nick Stiles.
As revealed by The Roar on Sunday, Raiwalui was brief listed and impressed Rugby Australia director of excessive efficiency Peter Horne, Waratahs chief govt Paul Doorn and excessive efficiency specialist Mark McGovern in an interview final week.
Simon Raiwalu oversaw Fiji’s best World Cup upset by toppling the Wallabies in 2023. (Picture by Alex Livesey – World Rugby/World Rugby by way of Getty Pictures)
He’s the most recent World Rugby employer to discover a dwelling in Australia since December following Horne and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
His appointment comes not a second too quickly, with the Waratahs ending final on this yr’s Tremendous Rugby standings and struggling to persuade gamers to remain and others to hitch.
Certainly, the Waratahs have already misplaced Wallabies forwards Ned Hanigan and Lachie Swinton, with Jed Holloway’s exit anticipated to be confirmed within the coming weeks.
It leaves the Waratahs brief on expertise and firepower up entrance forward of a vital yr in Australian rugby, with the British and Irish Lions to tour the nation for the primary time since 2013.
The disaster unfolding on the Waratahs can be summed up by the truth that captain Jake Gordon was searching for an early exit, earlier than being blocked by Rugby Australia with Schmidt intent on calling on the halfback with the Wallabies.
The Waratahs have quite a lot of catching as much as do after ending final in 2024. (Picture by Luis Veniegra/SOPA Pictures/LightRocket by way of Getty Pictures)
Whereas the 30-year-old is staying put for now, his need to go abroad sums up the depressing feeling at Daceyville in current months.
Raiwalui’s arrival will assist ease the nervousness at each Waratahs HQ and throughout ANZAC Parade at Rugby Australia’s Moore Park workplace, with the nationwide governing physique desperately wanting the Tremendous Rugby franchise to return to the highs of 2014.
Money-strapped and locked in broadcast negotiations, the slide into obscurity of the Waratahs, who managed simply two victories in Darren Coleman’s third and closing yr this season, hasn’t helped RA’s hopes of turning the sport round given they’re within the greatest rugby market within the nation.
However Raiwalui’s appointment will convey some respect and credibility.
The Fijian worldwide captained Saracens and efficiently made the transition to teaching, taking on at Stade Francais earlier than Michael Cheika got here knocking and known as on him as his forwards coach heading into the 2019 World Cup.
Simon Raiwalui was beforehand Michael Cheika’s assistant with the Wallabies. (Picture by Dan Mullan/Getty Pictures)
After a short 18-month stint with the Wallabies, Raiwalui took over as Fiji Rugby’s basic supervisor earlier than he was thrust into the nationwide head teaching function following Vern Cotter’s shock exit early final yr.
He then led Fiji to a shocking upset of England at Twickenham on the eve of the World Cup, earlier than his males pulled off the boil over of the match in France by downing the Wallabies in Saint Etienne to throw Eddie Jones’ marketing campaign into disaster.
After falling simply brief within the quarter-finals, Raiwalui, 49, shocked many by stepping away from the nationwide aspect on the finish of the World Cup to hitch World Rugby as excessive efficiency and participant pathways supervisor.
Mere months into the job he has been wooed into serving to rebuild the Waratahs.
In an interview with The Roar throughout final yr’s World Cup, Raiwalui mentioned he felt indebted to the sport.
“I believe I’m fairly even-keeled,” he mentioned.
“I’m all about respecting who we’re and who we’re enjoying. In the event you don’t deal with individuals nicely, it usually comes again to you and for those who don’t deal with the gamers nicely and the workers nicely, they will flip towards you.
“I’ve all the time lived off the philosophy, you deal with individuals the way you wish to be handled.
“I like the sport. It’s supplied me all the things in my life. I got here from fairly humble beginnings in life and rugby gave me the chance to journey the world and play and earn a dwelling and take my household to stunning locations, so I wish to respect that.
“I can clearly get indignant at instances, however I like to manage my feelings as a lot as potential.”
In addition to studying on the job close to checklist administration, Raiwalui will shortly have to show consideration to discovering his head coach.
Dan McKellar looms as an apparent goal, having left English heavyweights Leicester over the weekend, whereas Scott Wisemantel is one other sturdy candidate with 20 years of worldwide expertise.
Former Wallabies assistant and Brumbies coach Dan McKellar (R) is on the hunt for a brand new function after leaving Leicester. (Picture by Jono Searle/Getty Pictures)
Different candidates are Stephen Hoiles, who’s prone to head to the USA, and nationwide males’s sevens coach John Manenti.
Fleshing out the Waratahs’ checklist for 2025 is significant too, with a number of Rebels gamers nonetheless but to be satisfied Sydney is one of the best dwelling for them.
Specifically managing to lure Wallabies Taniela Tupou, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Rob Leota to Daceyville shall be important.
Something in need of signing two of the aforementioned Wallabies forwards shall be thought-about a blow to their hopes of re-emerging as a Tremendous Rugby risk.
