SECOND CHANCE: Former Springbok coach Jake White will lead ‘best-prepared’ Fiji to RWC 2027

There is a scenario now that former Springbok World Cup-winning coach Jake White could face his old team in the knockout stages of the 2027 tournament in Australia next year.

White was on Tuesday, 13 October, unveiled as head coach of Fiji, and will take them to the four-yearly showpiece with ambitions of going beyond the quarterfinals for the first time.

White’s contract runs until the end of RWC 2027 with an option to renew for one year after that.

Fiji reached the last eight in France 2007, where they lost a thriller in Marseille against White’s Boks. They again made the quarterfinals in France in 2023 before coming undone against England after recording a historic Pool stage win over Australia, which eliminated the Wallabies from the tournament.

Although the draw for RWC 2027 means that the Boks and Fiji won’t meet early in the tournament, there are several scenarios where they could meet at any stage between the quarterfinals, semis and even the final.

Most people might scoff at the notion of Fiji making the final, but White has lofty ambitions, knowing that he has some of the greatest athletes in rugby to work with.

Fiji have long been a sleeping giant of world rugby. They won the inaugural Olympic Games Sevens gold medal in Rio in 2016.

And the fact that they have twice made it to the quarterfinals in the 15-man game shows that with more planning and preparation they could become an even more imposing opponent.

Best prepared

White was presented to the media in Suva on Tuesday, but is already back in the city of Nadi on the west coast of the main island, where he will begin his preparations for his first task, a Test against Japan on 24 October.

Ironically his first Test in charge will be against the team coached by his old friend Eddie Jones.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to be coaching some of the best players in the world,” White told Daily Maverick from Fiji, soon after he was presented to the media.

“Fijian players are athletes of note, and my goal is to prepare them as best I can so we take the most prepared Fijian rugby team to a World Cup in 2027.

“My aim is to give everything to these guys to ensure the 33 players are the best in everything – the best they’ve ever looked and felt; and the best they’ve ever been mentally prepared and game prepared.

“That’s the challenge I’ve got in the next year. It’s a wonderful privilege.”

Another chance

While White is obviously ambitious and experienced, he is also human and at the age of 62 he had started to doubt that his chance to coach at Test level would ever come again.

After a successful career that has taken him from Jeppe Boys High to the Springboks, from the Brumbies to the Sharks and Montpellier, and from Japan to the Bulls, this is probably his last realistic shot at making an impression at Test level.

White was selected over former Wales and British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland, and renowned defence coach Shaun Edwards, who has worked with Wales and France, among other nations.

“I got quite emotional when I heard the news that I had been appointed, and for a lot of reasons,” White told Daily Maverick. “I’ve waited a long time to get a second crack at Test rugby. And I generally thought maybe my time had come and gone.

“I also realised, sitting there, the magnitude of what’s in front of me. Coaching a country like Fiji comes with huge responsibility. They’re a bit like South Africa in that they’re passionate. They love rugby.

“All the islands, the whole nation, everyone breathes rugby. One of the greatest lines told to me when I got here was from a guy I didn’t know. He said: ‘We love rugby more than religion, and we’re very religious.’”

Won’t change

White won’t try to change Fiji’s identity as rugby players, but rather give them more structure to complement their innate talent and athleticism.

That will come with challenges because Fiji’s best players are spread across the globe, playing in the best leagues in the world – mainly in France and Britain.

“It’s a daunting challenge that will be very different from what I’m used to,” White told Daily Maverick. “The resources are different, most of the players are overseas. They don’t have their best players playing on the island. The logistics of running a team like this are a bit different.

“But I think my experience of handling diversity, of coaching in different countries, of being in different environments is probably a massive strength for me that will allow me to adapt.”

But when it comes to sheer talent, few coaches could ask for more.

“My responsibility is to work with the players, coaches and everyone involved in Fiji Rugby to build on that foundation and turn potential into consistent performances,” White told the media in Fiji.

“I am not coming to Fiji to change what makes Fijian rugby special. I want to protect that identity, strengthen it and combine it with the structures, discipline and winning habits that will allow these players to express their talents on the biggest stage.

“Our journey begins immediately with the historic Test against Japan, followed by important challenges against France, Ireland and Italy in November.

“Every one of those matches will be an opportunity to learn, improve and establish the standards we need heading towards Rugby World Cup 2027.

“I know what winning a Rugby World Cup means to a country. I have seen how it can unite a nation and inspire generations.

“The talent is here. The passion is here. Now we must put in the work to build something truly special.”

Fiji will also face the Springboks in a World Cup warm-up game next year, which will be played in Gosford, New South Wales.

“Fiji are a quality team who have consistently tested some of the top sides in the world over the last few years,” Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said when the fixture was announced last month.

“They are one of the top-10-ranked teams in the world, and they are a physical and talented side who will undoubtedly want to take full advantage of the match, similarly to us, before the Rugby World Cup kicks off.” DM