Fiji in dire need of new coach after Cotter quits
NEWS: Fiji is looking for a new head coach seven months before the World Cup after New Zealander Vernon Cotter resigned on Thursday because of “personal reasons”.
The 61-year-old took charge of Fiji in 2020 after coaching French clubs Clermont Auvergne and Montpellier.
He also took Scotland to the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.
Tevita Tuiloa, the union’s interim chief executive, refused to be drawn on who could replace Cotter – “it could be a Fijian or from abroad” – but expects to name a coach by the end of February.
“Fiji Rugby was blessed to have Vern Cotter come on board, but the call [to resign] came directly from him due to personal reasons,” Tuiloa told a press conference in Suva.
“Time is against us to find a coach to take the Fijians to the next level [at the World Cup], but we are confident we have the players.”
Fiji has been drawn with Australia and Wales – both of whom also changed head coaches recently – as well as Georgia and Portugal in Pool C at the World Cup, which will take place in France and starts on September 8.
Fiji’s best performance was at the 2007 tournament in France, where they reached the quarter-finals after a win over Wales, before losing to eventual winners South Africa.
