Former Fiji women’s cricket captain Ruci Kaiwai is attending the ICC 100 per cent Cricket Future Leaders Level 2 Workshop at Albert Park, Suva, from 4–7 September.
She is representing Fiji in a cohort of coaches from 10 countries: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Japan, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines.
The four-day workshop is the practical, face-to-face component of the ICC Level 2 pathway, mixing indoor theory with on-field sessions and peer micro coaching.
The program covers the “role of the coach,” Game Sense and creating coaching environments, then moves into specialist modules in pace bowling, advanced batting, wicketkeeping, fielding and spin, with technology supported through pace tracking and video analysis.
Assessment tasks focus on communication and coaching practice, planning and delivering a session, providing feedback to another coach, and building a season plan.
Participants completed online Level 2 materials before arrival and prepared a five minute presentation outlining their role and coaching philosophy.
Kaiwai brings significant experience into the room. Her CV lists captaincy of the Fiji women’s national team (2022–2023), 14 years as a Cricket Fiji Development Officer (2010–2024), ICC Level 1 Umpire (2024), ICC Level 1 Coach (2025), and a stint as coach of the Fiji U19 Girls team in 2024.
Her nomination for the Suva workshop is supported by Cricket Fiji’s Chief Executive Officer, Sitiveni Rokoro, who noted she completed Level 1 in Bali and endorsed this next step in her coaching development, adding that “her growth and expertise in this field will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of cricket in Fiji”.
Cricket’s inclusion on the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games adds further context to the timing.
For Fiji, an associate member with a growing women’s pathway, the sport’s Olympic return could sharpen focus on high performance structures, junior-to-senior transitions and qualification planning over the next cycle.
For Kaiwai, an ICC Level 2 qualification paired with her international playing, coaching and umpiring background strengthens her credentials to lead age group and senior programs through that runway, and to help align domestic competition design with potential regional qualifying demands.
Across the four days in Suva, coaches will rotate between classroom blocks – Tournament Coaching 101, Creating Coaching Environments, Game Sense, Pace Tech and outdoor practicals in pace bowling, advanced batting, wicketkeeping, advanced fielding and spin.
The final day is reserved for practical assessments and workshop wrap up at Albert Park.
With a peer group drawn from across the East Asia Pacific and beyond, the workshop provides Fiji with a home soil upskilling opportunity and gives Kaiwai a structured path – classroom, field, and assessed planning tasks toward the next rung of ICC accreditation ahead of a pivotal period for the sport.
