Simon Raiwalui, coach of the Fijian national rugby team, has said he will leave his post at the end of his contract in December.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, from Tuesday, Raiwalui wrote: “Well I guess it is time to make it official, specifically what the next cycle will look like for Fiji Rugby.
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“I will not be seeking an extension of employment with FRU past 31st December. Thanks again to the players, staff & all the supporters, it has been quite a ride!”
Raiwalui has been Fiji’s coach since February this year, replacing Vern Cotter. He played 39 times for Fiji between 1997 and 2006.
Under his stewardship, the Pacific Island nation reached its first Rugby World Cup quarterfinal since 2007 and registered some landmark victories.
The Flying Fijians beat England for the first time at Twickenham in August, before defeating Australia 22-15 in Saint-Etienne at the World Cup to help them progress from the group stage.
Fiji’s campaign came to an end on Sunday in Marseille at the hands of England, and Raiwalui thanked the team’s backers the next day on X.
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“The morning after, I just wanted to say thank you to every person who supported us through this campaign,” he wrote.
“I am genuinely overwhelmed & humbled by the amount of messages sent through overnight. It may take a while, but I will try to reply to every message sent through!”