Rugby: Rugby-Ailing Waratahs bring Raiwalui home in director role

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Former Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui has been charged with overseeing the revival of the New South Wales Waratahs after being appointed as Director of Performance at the Super Rugby team on Friday.

The Waratahs finished bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific standings with two wins from 14 matches and are currently without a coach after Darren Coleman’s contract was not renewed.

Auckland born and Sydney raised, Raiwalui held a similar role at Fiji Rugby before taking over the head coaching reins with the national team for last year’s World Cup, overseeing wins over England in a warm-up and Australia at the tournament.

The 49-year-old former Fiji test lock moved on to a development post at World Rugby after the World Cup but said the chance to return to Sydney was a strong lure.

“It did tickle my fancy straightaway as it’s an opportunity to come home,” Raiwalui told reporters in a video news conference.

“I’m going to start from scratch, get to know everyone. I think my biggest strengths are up dealing with people so I will get to know everyone personally.

“We’ve got good bones here, we’ve got good people here and we are expecting success in our future journeys.”

Raiwalui’s first challenges will be to help find a new coach and lock up the playing personnel for next season after a flood of departures at the end of the last campaign.

The Waratahs, traditionally the best resourced of Australia’s provincial teams, won the Super Rugby title in 2014 but have not enjoyed sustained success since the departure of Michael Cheika the following year.

“I genuinely wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t think that the Waratahs are a success in waiting,” he added.

“There’s obviously things that we need to work on, we need to get the best staff possible in place. Whether it be playing, whether it be off field, we need to get the best players through the juniors, women, men, and get all our ducks in a row.

“I do genuinely think the Tahs are geared for success in the coming years.”

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)