Ten months after overseeing Fiji’s greatest World Cup victory by upsetting the Wallabies in Saint Etienne, Simon Raiwalui is set to become the head of performance at the Waratahs.
In a full-circle moment for Raiwalui, who moved to Tempe in Sydney with his mother at a young age before starting out his remarkable rugby career with Manly in the Shute Shield, the former Fijian international will become the Waratahs’ head of performance, The Roar understands.
It’s believed an announcement will be made later this week, with Raiwalui having edged out Rebels general manager and former Wallabies front-rower Nick Stiles.
As revealed by The Roar on Sunday, Raiwalui was short listed and impressed Rugby Australia director of high performance Peter Horne, Waratahs chief executive Paul Doorn and high performance specialist Mark McGovern in an interview last week.
Simon Raiwalu oversaw Fiji’s greatest World Cup upset by toppling the Wallabies in 2023. (Photo by Alex Livesey – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
He is the latest World Rugby employer to find a home in Australia since December following Horne and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt.
His appointment comes not a second too soon, with the Waratahs finishing last in this year’s Super Rugby standings and struggling to convince players to stay and others to join.
Indeed, the Waratahs have already lost Wallabies forwards Ned Hanigan and Lachie Swinton, with Jed Holloway’s exit expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
It leaves the Waratahs short on experience and firepower up front ahead of a crucial year in Australian rugby, with the British and Irish Lions to tour the country for the first time since 2013.
The crisis unfolding at the Waratahs is also summed up by the fact that captain Jake Gordon was looking for an early exit, before being blocked by Rugby Australia with Schmidt intent on calling on the halfback with the Wallabies.
The Waratahs have a lot of catching up to do after finishing last in 2024. (Photo by Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
While the 30-year-old is staying put for now, his desire to head overseas sums up the miserable feeling at Daceyville in recent months.
Raiwalui’s arrival will help ease the anxiety at both Waratahs HQ and across ANZAC Parade at Rugby Australia’s Moore Park office, with the national governing body desperately wanting the Super Rugby franchise to return to the highs of 2014.
Cash-strapped and locked in broadcast negotiations, the slide into obscurity of the Waratahs, who managed just two victories in Darren Coleman’s third and final year this season, hasn’t helped RA’s hopes of turning the game around given they are in the biggest rugby market in the country.
But Raiwalui’s appointment will bring some respect and credibility.
The Fijian international captained Saracens and successfully made the transition to coaching, taking over at Stade Francais before Michael Cheika came knocking and called on him as his forwards coach heading into the 2019 World Cup.
Simon Raiwalui was previously Michael Cheika’s assistant with the Wallabies. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
After a brief 18-month stint with the Wallabies, Raiwalui took over as Fiji Rugby’s general manager before he was thrust into the national head coaching role following Vern Cotter’s surprise exit early last year.
He then led Fiji to a stunning upset of England at Twickenham on the eve of the World Cup, before his men pulled off the boil over of the tournament in France by downing the Wallabies in Saint Etienne to throw Eddie Jones’ campaign into crisis.
After falling just short in the quarter-finals, Raiwalui, 49, surprised many by stepping away from the national side at the end of the World Cup to join World Rugby as high performance and player pathways manager.
Mere months into the job he has been wooed into helping rebuild the Waratahs.
In an interview with The Roar during last year’s World Cup, Raiwalui said he felt indebted to the game.
“I think I’m pretty even-keeled,” he said.
“I’m all about respecting who we are and who we’re playing. If you don’t treat people well, it normally comes back to you and if you don’t treat the players well and the staff well, they can turn against you.
“I’ve always lived off the philosophy, you treat people how you want to be treated.
“I love the game. It’s provided me everything in my life. I came from pretty humble beginnings in life and rugby gave me the opportunity to travel the world and play and earn a living and take my family to beautiful places, so I want to respect that.
“I can obviously get angry at times, but I like to control my emotions as much as possible.”
As well as learning on the job with regards to list management, Raiwalui will quickly have to turn attention to finding his head coach.
Dan McKellar looms as an obvious target, having left English heavyweights Leicester over the weekend, while Scott Wisemantel is another strong candidate with two decades of international experience.
Former Wallabies assistant and Brumbies coach Dan McKellar (R) is on the hunt for a new role after leaving Leicester. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
Other candidates are Stephen Hoiles, who is likely to head to the United States, and national men’s sevens coach John Manenti.
Fleshing out the Waratahs’ list for 2025 is vital too, with several Rebels players still yet to be convinced Sydney is the best home for them.
In particular managing to lure Wallabies Taniela Tupou, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Rob Leota to Daceyville will be essential.
Anything short of signing two of the aforementioned Wallabies forwards will be considered a blow to their hopes of re-emerging as a Super Rugby threat.
