FIJI RUGBY ANNOUNCES FUSI FEAUNATI AS HEAD OF WOMEN’S

Fiji Rakavi Football Union (FRFU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Fusi Feaunati as its new Head of Women’s Rugby. The appointment marks an important step in the Union’s continued investment in the growth of women’s rugby and its commitment to building a strong, connected pathway from grassroots participation and player development through to elite international performance.

The appointment comes at an important period for women’s rugby in Fiji.

Over recent years, the women’s game has experienced significant growth across the country, from primary school festivals and the Weet-Bix Raluve competition, through provincial rugby and into Fiji’s national sevens and fifteens programs.

That growth is reflected in the expanding domestic competitions, with 12 teams participating in the Subrails Marama competition and 16 teams in the Royal Tea Ranadi competition. FRFU is also seeing the pathway strengthen through secondary school rugby, primary school girls’ festivals and the continued development of the Fijiana 7s program.

At international level, the Vodafone Fijiana XV continues to build from its Rugby World Cup experience, with its recent success at the WXV Challenger in Hong Kong providing further momentum as Fiji begins building towards the 2029 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The appointment of a dedicated Head of Women’s recognizes both the progress already achieved, and the work still required to establish a sustainable, world-class women’s rugby system.

General Manager High-performance Naca Cawanibuka said the appointment reflects FRFU’s commitment to moving the women’s game into its next phase of development.

“Women’s rugby in Fiji has grown tremendously, and we acknowledge the contributions of players, coaches, schools, provincial unions, families and communities within our rugby ecosystem. But growth also brings responsibility. We now have to make sure the leadership, systems and programs supporting our women and girls grow at the same pace as the game itself.”

“This appointment is not simply about one national team or preparing for the next tournament. It is about connecting the entire women’s rugby pathway, from the young girl playing rugby at school, through our provincial competitions and development programs, to Fijiana 7s and the Vodafone Fijiana XV, and building a sustainable, evolving program that constantly measures to the international game demands whilst using rugby to develop our youth.”

“We also recognize that there are gaps and challenges that we must address. We need stronger pathways, better alignment between our programs, continued development of our coaches and staff, appropriate athlete support, clear performance standards and greater accountability across the system.”

“Fusi brings experience across those different levels of the women’s game. His role will be to help us bring those pieces together and establish a high-performance environment that is distinctly Fijian, professionally driven and capable of delivering sustainable success.”

Cawanibuka said FRFU must also look beyond performance on the field and develop a sustainable commercial future for the women’s game.

“Our ambition is for women’s rugby to become an increasingly valuable part of FRFU, competitively, socially and commercially. We should not look at the women’s game simply as a cost or an obligation. We must build a product that supporters want to follow, that young girls aspire to be part of, and that commercial partners see genuine value in supporting.”

“That requires us to invest wisely, strengthen the product, tell the stories of our athletes, grow our audiences and create meaningful opportunities for partners to be part of the journey.”

“Ultimately, success will not only be measured by where Fijiana finishes at a tournament. It will be measured by whether we have built a system that continues producing world-class players, coaches and leaders and whether the women’s game itself becomes stronger and more sustainable year after year.”

FRFU believes the next stage must focus on connecting the different parts of the pathway, schools, clubs, provincial competitions, talent identification, coaching, national programs and high performance, while strengthening the systems that support female players throughout their rugby journey.

The appointment also aligns with FRFU’s strategic workforce priorities, including establishing a fit-for-purpose organizational structure, securing key national coaches and high-performance personnel, strengthening accountability through clearly defined roles and KPIs, and implementing a stronger performance management system.

A CONNECTED WOMEN’S RUGBY PATHWAY

Feaunati brings extensive experience across women’s rugby development, high-performance coaching, athlete pathways and program leadership.

His experience includes serving as Women’s & Girls Lead with Wellington Rugby Football Union, leadership and coaching roles with Wellington Pride, Head Coach and Assistant Coach roles with Hurricanes Poua, Black Ferns Wellington Hub Manager with New Zealand Rugby, and performance and development roles with Manawatū Rugby Union.

His experience spans community rugby through to elite high-performance environments, with a strong focus on connecting athlete development, coaching, culture, wellbeing and performance systems.

Feaunati said the opportunity was about creating a pathway that allows Fiji’s extraordinary female rugby talent to develop from the community level through to the international stage.

“What excites me most about this opportunity is the ability to help shape a connected women’s rugby pathway across Fiji, from community and youth rugby through to elite international performance.”

“Fiji possesses extraordinary talent, passion, athleticism and cultural strength. With aligned systems, athlete support, coach development and performance planning, I believe FRFU can continue to establish itself as a genuine world leader in women’s rugby.”

His leadership philosophy places strong emphasis on building world-class daily environments, developing athlete identity and accountability, aligning performance systems, investing in coaches and staff, and embedding culture, connection and pride into performance.

Central to that approach will be ensuring that women and girls entering rugby have clear opportunities to progress and receive high-quality coaching, athlete support and professional standards throughout the pathway.

BUILDING TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE HIGH PERFORMANCE

FRFU recognizes that the rapid expansion of women’s rugby also brings significant challenges.

Greater participation creates increasing demands for coaching, competitions, player welfare, facilities, high-performance services, commercial investment and sustainable funding.

The objective therefore is not simply to grow participation or produce successful national teams. It is to build a sustainable women’s rugby program capable of delivering sporting, social and commercial value to FRFU.

The Union sees significant opportunity for the women’s game to develop its own commercial identity, attract partners, grow audiences and create value, moving progressively towards a model in which women’s rugby is not viewed simply as a cost to the organization, but as an increasingly valuable contributor to FRFU’s sporting and commercial future.

The Head of Women’s will play an important role in connecting these ambitions with the performance pathway – working closely with HPU Academy Coaches/Staff/ Provincial Coaches/Schools Coaches/ Community Coaches.

The long-term objective is to create an environment where a young girl entering rugby through a primary school festival can see a clear pathway ahead of her through school rugby, provincial competition and national development programs, and ultimately towards representing Fiji through Fijiana 7s or the Fijiana XV.

The appointment represents another step towards that vision. FRFU’s ambition is not simply to build successful teams. It is to build a sustainable system capable of producing generations of Fijian women who can compete with confidence on the world stage, while inspiring the next generation of girls across Fiji to believe that rugby offers them a genuine future.