Having represented both Fiji and the United States on the international rugby stage, Andrew Durutalo is bringing a wealth of playing and professional experience home to help shape the next generation of Fiji’s rugby talent.
Born in New York but raised in Fiji, Durutalo’s rugby journey has taken him from captaining Fiji’s under-19 and under-21 teams to competing at the highest level of international rugby.
He earned 22 caps for the USA Eagles in the 15s format and featured in 43 tournaments for the USA Sevens team.
His career highlights include competing at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Now, he has returned to Fiji to take up the role of Head of Men’s High Performance at Fiji Rugby, overseeing player pathways from the under-20 level through to the Fiji Sevens and Flying Fijians teams.
Durutalo’s career beyond the field has also shaped his approach to the game.
Before joining Fiji Rugby, he spent almost two years as general manager and director of rugby at Hong Kong Football Club.
He previously worked with Team USA in high performance and commercial development, helping build the organisation’s assets through television and other commercial partnerships.
Earlier in his career, he worked for four years at a Seattle-based brokerage firm.
Durutalo believes that the combination of sporting and business experience provides a foundation for developing rugby in Fiji.
His immediate focus is strengthening the domestic structure, particularly the pathways available to male players aged 16 and above.
This includes better aligning school rugby, post-school development programmes and high-performance systems, while identifying talented players who may not be part of the school system.
With the 2028 Olympics and 2031 Rugby World Cup on the horizon, Durutalo says Fiji Rugby must move quickly to align its development pathways and consistently compete at the highest level.
His goal is to help build a system that identifies, develops and prepares the best available talent for Fiji’s national teams.
