THERE’S one thing Senirusi Seruvakula believes about being the FIJI Water Flying Fijians interim head coach; it’s in his blood.
Seruvakula declared this in an interview with Times Sport on Monday, following the announcement of the 32-member squad for the first leg of the inaugural Nations Championship in the United Kingdom.
He had affirmed the honour bestowed upon him to take up the role, the privilege it accompanied and how it set a new wave of expectations to work towards.
“It’s a big honour, it’s a big privilege to be the head coach of the national team of your country and it’s been a long time,” Seruvakula said.
“It’s in my blood to coach and to rise up to the standard, and then to go right up to the number one team and that is the Flying Fijians.”
Seruvakula’s words come at a time when the squad starts counting down the days to when they will meet in Cardiff, Wales ahead of their first match against the hosts on July 4.
A seasoned coach whose track record in being an instrumental aspect of the Flying Fijians’ and the Fijiana XV’s rising successes in the international arena, he was named as interim for the top job on April 1.
He stepped in following the exit of former head coach Mick Byrne.
However, in affirming how it had been a “big honour” to step in as interim head coach, it has also been a long time coming for the man who was once the Flying Fijians’ assistant coach and head coach of the Fijian Drua Women and the Fiji Warriors.
And now as the clock ticks to July 4, Seruvakula has called for the support and prayers of the Fijian people and the supporters showing up in Cardiff, Liverpool and Edinburgh to be the team’s 16th man.
Fixtures – July 5: Fiji v Wales at 1.10am; July 12: Fiji v England at 1.10am; July 19: Fiji v Scotland at 1.10am.
