THE ENERGY AND enthusiasm that helped Jake White drive South Africa to World Cup glory in 2007 are undiminished.
Over the course of nearly an hour at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, where Fiji have been staying this week, the 62-year-old’s love of rugby is infectious.
He happily lingers after his media obligations are done to chat about Irish rugby, clearly curious about all of it.
But his firm focus now is on helping Fiji to become a more consistent force on the global stage, all with a view to making a dent at next year’s World Cup in Australia. Tonight’s Nations Championship clash with Ireland in Dublin [KO 8.10pm, Virgin Media] is another step along the way.
White beat some strong competition to get this job, which he started last month. Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards were reportedly among the other contenders, but White convinced the Fiji Rugby Union that he was their man.
“I believe everything in life is timing. The right time, right place,” says White.
“When I was available for Test jobs, they weren’t available. When they were available, I was signed up.
“And so the stars were aligned. Fiji were looking for a national coach. I was keen to get back into international rugby.”
White is all-in on this job. He will be moving to live in Fiji in early 2027, spending blocks of the year getting around the islands and trying to help develop the game, not just at Test level.
The Fiji U18s and U20s will start touring South Africa every year, so White wants to work closely with them. He plans to coach in schools and clubs, because he sees a need to supplement the traditional Fijian rugby culture of flair.
“I’ll give you an example,” says White, sitting up in his chair.
“No one mauls in Fiji. You know, there’s no team in Fiji that will maul. No one coaches it and so if you think about it, why would you stop a maul [at Test level] if every Saturday you play a fixture and you don’t have to stop a maul?”
And as he gets around Fiji, which is made up of more than 330 islands, he hopes to unearth some new talent, of which he believes there is a huge amount.
“I heard a wonderful story about how in 1987, the coach who took Fiji to the World Cup [George Simpkin] went to the villages and found players,” says White.
“I want to see if we can unearth a few gems of guys.
“Have you been to Fiji? I mean, you shake a tree, and a rugby player falls out. It’s unbelievable how much talent they have.
“I’m not saying we’re going to unearth 20 superstars, but if we find one or two that are on the islands that can play for Fiji, well then you’ve significantly made an impact in the local game.”
White at Fiji training in DLSP FC. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
White says he will also work closely with the Fijian Drua, who play in Super Rugby and who provided six players to his Nations Championship squad, which also features men who play club rugby in France, England, Japan and New Zealand.
The experienced South African head coach is evidently excited about where Fijian rugby can go. He believes that they’re more talented than a ninth-place ranking suggests.
And yet, White is realistic about the scale of the challenge.
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He only took over midway through October, brought Fiji to Japan for a stirring win in Tokyo, and then they were straight into touring mode as they visit France, Ireland and Scotland before the Nations Championship finals weekend in London.
There has been very little time to implement big changes, but White is tweaking things as he goes.
Discipline is one key area of focus. He has had the Fiji players working hard on tackle height and technique in a bid to reduce their number of high contacts, something he says is prevalent across Fijian rugby.
To that end, White has put signs on every single one of the players’ bedroom doors and the team room at their hotel, demanding that they dip low as they come through the doorways every single time. He wants to ingrain good habits.
White believes that giving the Fijian players more structure can help their incredible athleticism and skill to be even more effective.
He uses the kicking game as another example of the ground they need to make up.
“They are incredible athletes, as you see, but they play with coconuts and things [growing up in Fiji],” says White. “To kick a coconut is impossible.
“I don’t say that because it’s a joke. The reality is they run on the islands, and they play touch rugby in the mud, so kicking isn’t a big skill.
“One thing they have lacked is the ability to understand when to kick and when to run.”
White has some good statistics when it comes to regaining contestable kicks.
He says Ireland have a 45% success rate in this area. Fiji’s is just 14%, the lowest of the top international teams.
“Now, you guys play hurling and Gaelic football, but you would think that Fijians are athletic and play 7s and all that, so it should be a skill that we would be up on.
“But there’s only one reason – we can’t kick like you kick. The reality is if we had a kicker who could kick it there, and we knew that nine out of 10 times it would be there, we’d probably find a way to get it back.”
White stresses that he doesn’t want to dissuade Fiji from playing to their classic strengths. Other nations don’t have the athletes they do, nor the sheer skill levels to pull off some of their attacking plays.
There has been much made of how White seemed like an odd fit for Fiji. He is always associated with a set-piece-focused, kick-heavy approach to rugby, although he takes issue with such narrow views of him.
Elia Canakaivata, Inoke Ravuiwasa, Luke Tagi and Terio Tamani. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
“It would be wrong of me not to tell you it is unfair what people say, because the reality is having coached the Bulls, we scored the most points and most tries of anyone in URC, even more than Leinster,” says White.
“When I was in the Brumbies, we scored the most points and most tries, even more than Crusaders.
“The ironic thing is people have this perception because it’s an easy sell, you know, South African, conservative.
“The reason I actually went to Japan, and the reason I went to the Brumbies, was for exactly that reason – I wanted to be able to coach differently.”
He believes that a marriage of his coaching ability and Fiji’s thrilling individual talent can help them to be a better team.
White’s optimism for Fiji is palpable, and he would love it if others in the rugby world could support the mission to get them to the top table.
Fiji’s home games in the Nations Championship in July against Wales, England and Scotland took place in Cardiff, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
White feels it is a huge shame that so many of his squad have yet to play a home Test for their nation at all, not just this year.
“Some boys here have never played a home Test match for Fiji,” says White. “They’ve only ever played away.
“I mean, imagine if you’ve played 20 Tests and you’ve never played one in front of your home crowd.
“Imagine being an Irish international, but never playing in Ireland.”
He believes there is a simple solution. Ireland were supposed to tour Fiji in 2021 but those plans were torn up due to the Covid-19 pandemic. White would love to see an Irish side and others touring in the Pacific Islands.
“I think that guys like Ireland and Scotland can come play in Fiji,” he says.
“That’s what can be done. I mean, that’s not uncontrollable.
“I think there’d be nothing greater than for Fiji to host Ireland in Suva, or nothing greater than to host South Africa.
“The people on the islands would get to see the best players in the world in real life, you know, sitting in the stadium. And that can happen. I’m sure it will happen over time. I’m sure it will. There’s starting points to everything.”
White speaks about other challenges like getting visas for Fijian players when they play abroad. As things stand, many of them are short-term entry visas, rather than multi-year. That can mean reapplying year-on-year to visit the same countries.
He says he needs to pick a big squad of 65 players next year, then get everyone fully ‘visaed’ for the next three years.
Rónan Kelleher on his way to a try against Fiji in 2024. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
So there is a big project unfolding for White and Fiji, although their thoughts this week have been about Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
White was impressed by their performance against Argentina last weekend, and he senses a huge challenge ahead tonight in Dublin. He says Fiji are “honoured” by the strength of Farrell’s selection for this game.
“That team, barring a couple of guys that are injured, is Full Metal Jacket against us.
“They played really well last week. I think there were signs of the good old days for Irish rugby. So we’re going to have to play really well. I know firsthand from the Leinster days with the Bulls just how good they can be when they’re on fire.”
Ireland are firm favourites, but White says this is exactly what the Fijians want to be up against.
“Last week we played France, who’s fourth in the world. We play Ireland who’s number three in the world this weekend.
“There’s no better measurement for this group of players than to go on a tour and judge and measure yourself against the best players in the world.”
White is back exactly where he has long wanted to be.
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'There'd be nothing greater than for Fiji to host Ireland in Suva'
THE ENERGY AND enthusiasm that helped Jake White drive South Africa to World Cup glory in 2007 are undiminished.
Over the course of nearly an hour at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, where Fiji have been staying this week, the 62-year-old’s love of rugby is infectious.
He happily lingers after his media obligations are done to chat about Irish rugby, clearly curious about all of it.
But his firm focus now is on helping Fiji to become a more consistent force on the global stage, all with a view to making a dent at next year’s World Cup in Australia. Tonight’s Nations Championship clash with Ireland in Dublin [KO 8.10pm, Virgin Media] is another step along the way.
White beat some strong competition to get this job, which he started last month. Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards were reportedly among the other contenders, but White convinced the Fiji Rugby Union that he was their man.
“I believe everything in life is timing. The right time, right place,” says White.
“When I was available for Test jobs, they weren’t available. When they were available, I was signed up.
“And so the stars were aligned. Fiji were looking for a national coach. I was keen to get back into international rugby.”
White is all-in on this job. He will be moving to live in Fiji in early 2027, spending blocks of the year getting around the islands and trying to help develop the game, not just at Test level.
The Fiji U18s and U20s will start touring South Africa every year, so White wants to work closely with them. He plans to coach in schools and clubs, because he sees a need to supplement the traditional Fijian rugby culture of flair.
“I’ll give you an example,” says White, sitting up in his chair.
“No one mauls in Fiji. You know, there’s no team in Fiji that will maul. No one coaches it and so if you think about it, why would you stop a maul [at Test level] if every Saturday you play a fixture and you don’t have to stop a maul?”
And as he gets around Fiji, which is made up of more than 330 islands, he hopes to unearth some new talent, of which he believes there is a huge amount.
“I heard a wonderful story about how in 1987, the coach who took Fiji to the World Cup [George Simpkin] went to the villages and found players,” says White.
“I want to see if we can unearth a few gems of guys.
“Have you been to Fiji? I mean, you shake a tree, and a rugby player falls out. It’s unbelievable how much talent they have.
“I’m not saying we’re going to unearth 20 superstars, but if we find one or two that are on the islands that can play for Fiji, well then you’ve significantly made an impact in the local game.”
White says he will also work closely with the Fijian Drua, who play in Super Rugby and who provided six players to his Nations Championship squad, which also features men who play club rugby in France, England, Japan and New Zealand.
The experienced South African head coach is evidently excited about where Fijian rugby can go. He believes that they’re more talented than a ninth-place ranking suggests.
And yet, White is realistic about the scale of the challenge.
He only took over midway through October, brought Fiji to Japan for a stirring win in Tokyo, and then they were straight into touring mode as they visit France, Ireland and Scotland before the Nations Championship finals weekend in London.
There has been very little time to implement big changes, but White is tweaking things as he goes.
Discipline is one key area of focus. He has had the Fiji players working hard on tackle height and technique in a bid to reduce their number of high contacts, something he says is prevalent across Fijian rugby.
To that end, White has put signs on every single one of the players’ bedroom doors and the team room at their hotel, demanding that they dip low as they come through the doorways every single time. He wants to ingrain good habits.
White believes that giving the Fijian players more structure can help their incredible athleticism and skill to be even more effective.
He uses the kicking game as another example of the ground they need to make up.
“They are incredible athletes, as you see, but they play with coconuts and things [growing up in Fiji],” says White. “To kick a coconut is impossible.
“I don’t say that because it’s a joke. The reality is they run on the islands, and they play touch rugby in the mud, so kicking isn’t a big skill.
“One thing they have lacked is the ability to understand when to kick and when to run.”
White has some good statistics when it comes to regaining contestable kicks.
He says Ireland have a 45% success rate in this area. Fiji’s is just 14%, the lowest of the top international teams.
“Now, you guys play hurling and Gaelic football, but you would think that Fijians are athletic and play 7s and all that, so it should be a skill that we would be up on.
“But there’s only one reason – we can’t kick like you kick. The reality is if we had a kicker who could kick it there, and we knew that nine out of 10 times it would be there, we’d probably find a way to get it back.”
White stresses that he doesn’t want to dissuade Fiji from playing to their classic strengths. Other nations don’t have the athletes they do, nor the sheer skill levels to pull off some of their attacking plays.
There has been much made of how White seemed like an odd fit for Fiji. He is always associated with a set-piece-focused, kick-heavy approach to rugby, although he takes issue with such narrow views of him.
“It would be wrong of me not to tell you it is unfair what people say, because the reality is having coached the Bulls, we scored the most points and most tries of anyone in URC, even more than Leinster,” says White.
“When I was in the Brumbies, we scored the most points and most tries, even more than Crusaders.
“The ironic thing is people have this perception because it’s an easy sell, you know, South African, conservative.
“The reason I actually went to Japan, and the reason I went to the Brumbies, was for exactly that reason – I wanted to be able to coach differently.”
He believes that a marriage of his coaching ability and Fiji’s thrilling individual talent can help them to be a better team.
White’s optimism for Fiji is palpable, and he would love it if others in the rugby world could support the mission to get them to the top table.
Fiji’s home games in the Nations Championship in July against Wales, England and Scotland took place in Cardiff, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
White feels it is a huge shame that so many of his squad have yet to play a home Test for their nation at all, not just this year.
“Some boys here have never played a home Test match for Fiji,” says White. “They’ve only ever played away.
“I mean, imagine if you’ve played 20 Tests and you’ve never played one in front of your home crowd.
“Imagine being an Irish international, but never playing in Ireland.”
He believes there is a simple solution. Ireland were supposed to tour Fiji in 2021 but those plans were torn up due to the Covid-19 pandemic. White would love to see an Irish side and others touring in the Pacific Islands.
“I think that guys like Ireland and Scotland can come play in Fiji,” he says.
“That’s what can be done. I mean, that’s not uncontrollable.
“I think there’d be nothing greater than for Fiji to host Ireland in Suva, or nothing greater than to host South Africa.
“The people on the islands would get to see the best players in the world in real life, you know, sitting in the stadium. And that can happen. I’m sure it will happen over time. I’m sure it will. There’s starting points to everything.”
White speaks about other challenges like getting visas for Fijian players when they play abroad. As things stand, many of them are short-term entry visas, rather than multi-year. That can mean reapplying year-on-year to visit the same countries.
He says he needs to pick a big squad of 65 players next year, then get everyone fully ‘visaed’ for the next three years.
So there is a big project unfolding for White and Fiji, although their thoughts this week have been about Andy Farrell’s Ireland.
White was impressed by their performance against Argentina last weekend, and he senses a huge challenge ahead tonight in Dublin. He says Fiji are “honoured” by the strength of Farrell’s selection for this game.
“That team, barring a couple of guys that are injured, is Full Metal Jacket against us.
“They played really well last week. I think there were signs of the good old days for Irish rugby. So we’re going to have to play really well. I know firsthand from the Leinster days with the Bulls just how good they can be when they’re on fire.”
Ireland are firm favourites, but White says this is exactly what the Fijians want to be up against.
“Last week we played France, who’s fourth in the world. We play Ireland who’s number three in the world this weekend.
“There’s no better measurement for this group of players than to go on a tour and judge and measure yourself against the best players in the world.”
White is back exactly where he has long wanted to be.
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