WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Drua head coach Mick Byrne has been hired to guide the Fijian national men’s rugby team as part of an agreement which could see Fiji play in the upcoming Nations Championship.
In a statement Tuesday, Fiji Rugby said Byrne had been appointed after an “extensive and rigorous selection and negotiation process.” That included discussions between Fiji Rugby, Fiji government ministers and sports officials and World Rugby, represented by Nigel Cass and Simon Rawailui.
“World Rugby clarified that (Fiji’s) performance and ranking at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France has put Fiji in strong position to be part of the Nations Championship competition commencing 2026 through to 2030,” Fiji Rugby said in a statement.
“It would be detrimental to Fiji’s participation in the Nations Championship, in the 2024 Olympics, in Super Rugby Pacific, the 2027 Rugby World Cup and the rest of the World Sevens Series ... if the best qualified and proven coaches are not appointed to Fiji’s high-performance national teams.”
Fiji Rugby said an opportunity now exists for further investment by World Rugby in Fiji’s high performance unit and programs which will help Fiji prepare for the Nations Championship.
The plan is for Fiji to be included in a 12-team competition of Tier One nations made up of the Six Nations — Ireland, France, Wales, Scotland, Italy and England — the SANZAR teams — Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa — Japan and Fiji.
“The importance of that opportunity to Fiji Rugby, the Fiji government and all Fijians is astronomical," Fiji Rugby said. "It guarantees engaging in a high-level competition and potentially hosting five to six test matches against Tier One nations each year between 2026 and 2030.”
Byrne’s appointment was conditional on receiving a long-term work permit, which the veteran Australian coach was granted Monday by the Fiji Ministry of Immigration.
Fiji Rugby said it was delighted to have secured a coach of Bryne’s caliber. As an assistant coach, Byrne had a hand in New Zealand’s World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015. He also has been an assistant coach of the Wallabies and Scotland.
“World Rugby emphasized that Fiji playing Tier One nations on a regular basis as opposed to playing Tier Two nations will only be a reality if the investment in Fiji Rugby’s high-performance by World Rugby is protected through the appointment of the best coaches to coach Fiji’s national teams through a robust, fair, transparent and independent process,” Fiji Rugby said.
It said Byrne also “brings a deep understanding and love for Fijian rugby proven by the progress and achievements of the ... Fijian Drua."
Byrne will continue as head coach of the Drua for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season while also preparing Fiji for a test against the All Blacks in San Diego in July, and for other mid-year tests and an end-of-year tour to Europe.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
FILE - Australian skills coach Mick Byrne is seen during a training session in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Drua head coach Byrne has been hired to guide the Fijian national men’s rugby team as part of an agreement which could see Fiji play in the upcoming Nations Championship. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season.
Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year last season as Seattle finished with 100 points and reached the Western Conference semifinals in its second year.
But the Kraken failed to match expectations this season and spent most of the year trying to climb back into playoff contention after a terrible start, and failed to build on the success of that playoff run. Seattle finished tied for fifth in the Pacific Division after going 34-35-13 with 81 points, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season.
Hakstol went 107-112-27 in his three seasons in charge of the Kraken.
Seattle general manager Ron Francis hinted that changes could be coming less than a week after the season ended. Given the chance to confirm Hakstol would get a fourth season, Francis instead hedged and said a review was underway to analyze the entire coaching staff.
A week later, Hakstol was out.
“I thank Dave for his hard work and dedication to the Kraken franchise,” Francis said in a statement. “Following our end-of-the-season review, we have decided to make a change at our head coach position. These decisions are never easy, but we feel this is a necessary step to help ensure our team continues to improve and evolve.
Francis also said assistant coach Paul McFarland would not return.
Hakstol was rewarded with a two-year extension after last season when Seattle reached the second round of the playoffs and kept Hakstol under contract through the 2025-26 season. But Seattle was unable to maintain the style of play that led to its success last season and couldn’t overcome significant injuries to Andre Burakovsky, Brandon Tanev and Philipp Grubauer early in the season. Seattle also played most of the final portion of the season without top defenseman Vince Dunn due to neck injury.
Seattle started this season 8-14-7 including an eight-game losing streak, before a big turnaround in late December and January that pushed the Kraken back into the playoff conversation. But the Kraken went just 13-16-3 after the All-Star break and a painful overtime loss at home to Vegas on March 12 brought an end to any reasonable playoff aspirations.
Scoring goals was a problem that the Kraken couldn’t solve all season. Seattle was 29th in the league in goals scored, 29th in shooting percentage and 18th on the power play, negating a season of strong defense and goaltending.
Hakstol was a surprise choice when Seattle hired him to be the first coach in franchise history. His first stint as a coach in the NHL started strong in Philadelphia in 2015-16 with two playoff appearances in his first three seasons. But it fell apart in the fourth season and he was fired 25 games into that year with the Flyers at 8-11-6 and just 22 points.
It was a rough inaugural season for Seattle as the team dealt with the expectations of trying to match what Vegas did in its expansion season while balancing COVID-19 restrictions that impacted much of that first season. Seattle finished at 27-49-6 in that first season but rebounded in Year 2 when the Kraken finished with 100 points, toppled defending champion Colorado in the first round of the playoffs and took Dallas to a Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Todd McLellan and 2019 Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube are among the experienced NHL head coaches available, pending more movement around the league in the coming weeks.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol, top center, reacts on the bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday, April 29, 2024, after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol looks on from the bench against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Monday, April 24, 2023, in Seattle. The Seattle Kraken fired coach Dave Hakstol on Monday, April 29, 2024, after the third-year franchise took a significant step back following a playoff appearance in their second season.(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
