Source: Radio New Zealand
Applications for the new Drua head coach will close on 15 May 2026. PHOTOSPORT
The Fijian Drua has advertised the head coach position to be vacated by Glen Jackson at the end of the current Super Rugby Pacific season.
A statement from the club on Friday said Drua will undertake a thorough and structured global recruitment process to identify and appoint the best candidate for the position.
The change in tactics is evident with the recruitment of new chief executive, former Wallabies Jeff Miller, who is now at the helm of the Nadi-based franchise.
Drua’s previous CEO Mark Evans told RNZ Pacific in 2024, when then-head coach Mick Byrne left to lead the Flying Fijians, that Jackson was internally selected.
Jackson signed a three-year contract beginning from 2025 but two weeks ago he revealed he was not going to continue and will not serve the full term.
He has come under fire from the Fijian drua fans and supporters in the last two years over the team’s inconsistency in the competition, failing to make the finals play-off in 2025 – with slim hopes of doing that this year – after having made two quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024.
Evans said back then that advertising positions is not an efficient way to find coaches.
He said the franchise’s coaching role was decided internally and he did not believe in advertising the position, but rather inclined towards searching for capable people.
“The post was not advertised. This is my fifth head coach that I have appointed or helped appoint in various rugby organisations and I don’t think I have ever advertised,” Evans said in 2024.
“I don’t think advertising is particularly an efficient way of doing it. You tend to search, I suppose, is a better way to describe what we do.
“You look at what you are after, you make some phone calls, you ring a few people up, you do your due diligence, you create your shortlist and you move on from there.”
Evans has left the Drua since, with Miller taking over his role.
Friday’s announcement means that the position will be available to any interested coach who meets the requirement.
“The purpose of the Fijian Drua is simple – winning Super Rugby Pacific, inspiring a nation and changing lives for the better. It’s because the Drua is more than a rugby club – it is a symbol of national pride, identity, and excellence,” the club said.
“The Drua represents the very best of Fijian rugby talent in the world’s toughest professional rugby competitions … and carries the passion of a nation and the support of a global Fijian community,” it added.
“We are seeking an exceptional Men’s Head Coach to lead the team into its next era – driving performance, shaping identity, delivering success, and inspiring fans,” the club said.
“The Fijian Drua unites the nation like no other, making the Head Coach role one of the most unique and high-profile coaching roles in Southern Hemisphere rugby. It combines elite performance, national responsibility, and long-term legacy building.”
The position requirements include having proven experience as a Head Coach or senior assistant in Super Rugby, International Rugby or Top-tier professional competition or equivalent.
The applicant must have demonstrated success in elite, high-performance environments, strong track record in delivering results and developing players, have deep tactical and technical understanding of modern rugby and the ability to perform under pressure in a high expectation environment, amongst other things.
He or she must be an inspirational leader who identifies strongly with Fijian players and rugby in Fiji, must have alignment with Drua values and a player-first philosophy and committed to continuous learning and innovation.
The Drua franchise said “all applications will be treated with the strictest confidence”.
Applications close at the end of the day on 15 May 2026.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
