Seruvakula ready for the challenge

Fijian XV coach Senirusi Seruvakula is ready to take up the challenge and lead our first national 15’s women’s team to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year.

After his appointment this week Seruvalua said “It’s something new for me as a coach.”

He added “I have been coaching the men’s team all along and the reason why I applied for this new job was just to challenge myself.

It’s also a big year as we have Rugby World Cup next year so I want to experience that and I’m really looking forward to coaching the national team” he said.

Seruvakula added that he has already started to scout players who are likely to be in his extended squad which will be announced later this year.

He said “I have been doing talent identification, going around to all the Skipper Cup and watching the women’s team playing in the Vanua Championship.”

Seruvakula added “We have the academy girls and I will be drawing up a plan this week with the High Performance General Manager and the Academy Manager.

We will draw up a depth chart and will bring in the extended squad and start camping from next month.”

He said they will need to start from the basic, slowly progress and be ready for the RWC next year.

Seruvakula said “We will have to start from the basis again and will go have camps every month until December.”

He added “Hopefully we will get to play some test matches early next year to prepare this team for the Rugby World Cup.”

He further explained “The main focus is fitness and we have to raise up the skill level for the girls.”

Seruvakula said “I will not coach them like girls or men but I will coach them like rugby players.

Nothing will change and the way I have coached the Fijian Warriors, Fijian Drua and Fiji Latui, it will be same as the girls.”

He added that the girls will be hitting the Sand Dunes in Sigatoka on a regular basis from December.

“We will be spending a lot of weeks camping in Sigatoka doing the Sand Dunes because I have to raise up their level of fitness according to international level.”

In terms of this extended squad, Seruvakula said there a few girls from the Vodafone Vanua Championship who will be included in the list.

“There have a couple of girls who have been playing well in Vanua Championship.

There are some girls in the Macuata and Serua teams who will be coming into camp and not forgetting the girls from overseas” he said.

With the Olympic Games also next year, Seruvakula said he is in close contact with Fijiana 7s coach Saiasi Fuli as a few prominent 7s players have also played great 15’s game with their province.

“They will be considered and I have also been watching some of the rugby league players during their club games who can give their best for the nation” said Seruvakula