A former American women’s rugby sevens head coach is here to guide the Fiji Airways Fijiana (women’s) sevens rugby team.

New Zealander Richard Walker has been appointed as the head coach by the Fiji Rakavi Football Union. He replaces interim head coach Timoci Volavola.

According to Fiji Rugby, Walker is an experienced coach with over 15 years of success across various levels of the game. He brings a wealth of international expertise and a strategic vision to the programme.

Having held key coaching roles with United States of America (USA) rugby women’s 7s, Japan women’s 7s and Auckland Storm, Walker has built a reputation for driving high-performance standards and long-term sustainability in elite rugby programmes.

According to FRU his leadership as head coach of the Seattle Seawolves led them to a Major League Rugby (MLR) Championship, demonstrating his ability to build and maintain a winning culture.

Walker also brings Olympic and World Cup experience, having coached the USA women’s 7s team through to the Rio Olympic Games 2016 and the 7s World Cup in San Francisco, where both teams exceeded expectations.

His proven track record in player development, behavior standards, and program leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future success of the Fijiana 7s squad.

The FRU also acknowledges the contributions of interim head coach Volavola and looks forward to his continued work alongside Walker as the team prepares for upcoming international competitions, including the HSBC SVNS Series and the journey towards Olympic qualification.

Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj