Jake White Emerges as Favourite to Coach Fiji Ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup
- Fiji Rugby Union received 31 applications for their vacant head coach position and has begun shortlisting candidates
- Jake White, who has been working as a rugby consultant since leaving the Bulls, is reportedly among the leading candidates
- The successful candidate is expected to be announced within days, with the contract starting on 5 October 2026
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Former Springboks head coach Jake White has emerged as the leading candidate to take charge of Fiji's national rugby team, with the Pacific Island nation expected to confirm its new head coach imminently.
Fiji Rugby Union has received 31 applications for the head coach vacancy, created after Mick Byrne stepped down in April. Senirusi Seruvakula has been managing the team in an interim capacity since then. According to Afrikaans publication Rapport, White has already been shortlisted and is considered the frontrunner for the role.
"He is on their shortlist and is regarded as the favourite. In Fiji, they are already talking about him as the new head coach," a source told Rapport.
White eyes return to Test rugby
The contract for the position begins on 5 October 2026 and runs through to the end of 2027. Former Wales head coach Warren Gatland is also among the 31 applicants, but it is White who has attracted the most attention in the shortlisting process.
Since leaving the Bulls last year, White has been working as a rugby consultant at Selborne College. He has previously spoken openly about his ambition to return to international coaching, having last served as a Test head coach in 2007 when he guided the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory in France.
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Fiji's road to the 2027 World Cup
Fiji are currently ranked 10th in the World Rugby standings after losing to Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup final. The new head coach will immediately take charge of November Nations Championship fixtures against France, Ireland and Italy.
Should White secure the role, he could face his former team in a World Cup warm-up Test against the Springboks scheduled for Gosford on 18 September 2027.
Source: Briefly News
