Jake White has been appointed as Fiji's head coach, taking charge of the Pacific nation through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The 62-year-old, who won the 2007 World Cup with the Springboks, will debut in the role against Japan in Tokyo next week.
White replaces interim coach Senirusi Seruvakula, who stepped in following Mick Byrne's departure in April. Fiji Rugby Union chair John Sanday framed the appointment in explicitly ambitious terms at Tuesday's press conference: "We are not going to Australia simply to make up the numbers. We are going there with a determination to compete and challenge expectations."
Fiji, ranked 10th in the world, face a Pool C that includes Argentina, Canada and Spain. They arrive at the tournament on the back of a difficult 2026, having lost the Pacific Nations Cup final to Japan and suffered successive defeats to Wales, England and Scotland in the inaugural Nations Championship.
White acknowledged the confidence deficit head-on. "To be fair about the Fijians, they have lacked a bit of confidence this year," he said. "Technically, working on game management, that's one area. The theory for me is we want Fiji to play like Fiji but just give them a little bit more structure, a little bit more formation."
He will relocate to Fiji and embed himself with the Fijian Drua while scouting local club rugby to broaden the talent pool. "I'd like to say we want to have the best-prepared group of players ever to go to a World Cup. That'll be our challenge," he said.
White's last head coaching post was at the Bulls, where he reached three URC finals in five seasons but lost them all, including last year's defeat to Leinster. He left Loftus saying the team needed a fresh voice.