Daryl “Dirty” Neville to Coach 2009 Australian Fijian Sevens Team as AFRL
advertises for new Head Coach

The AFRL confirmed today that recently resigned Rabbitohs Assistant Coach Daryl ‘Dirty’ Neville will take charge of the 2009 Australian Fijians sevens campaign. The former Rabbitoh player and coach agreed to take control of the Australian Fijians in the hybrid format after being offered the position after the December 28 AFRL board meeting.
 
The AFRL board also announced that they will take part in 3 events this year that being the Cabramatta 9’s, the Wollongong Sevens and the Valley 8’s to be held in February and early March.
 
AFRL Board member Manoa Thompson will assist Neville during the campaign and is confident that his inclusion will bring the AFRL success in these tournaments.
 
“Last year our sevens campaign was the only blight we had on what was our most successful year to date. Traditionally Fijian’s are known as the seven-a-side specialists and we are determined to get that title back in these tournaments. Our campaign in these same tournaments last year were not taken seriously enough and our preparation was terrible. The financial rewards from winning these tournaments are a massive boost for our association and are crucial to our fundraising targets that enable us to provide for our players at the end of the year. Dirty will be great with the boys and will teach them to play with instinct as only you can in sevens.”
 
Neville himself is well known for his Seven-a- side prowess himself being a part of the South Sydney team to win the first ever Nissan World Sevens back in 1988. Neville is also still regarded as one of the best Oz Tag players in the South Sydney/Eastern Suburbs areas at the ripe old age of 45.
 
The AFRL also confirmed that it will be advertising for a new Head Coach after the AGM that will be held on Saturday January 30 at Mascot RSL. The current AFRL board will put that on the agenda list for the new board to be elected at the end of the month. The current board is hopeful that they will be able to confirm what playing schedule they will have at the end of the regular season by the time the new board is elected.
 
 
Current board member Steve Driscoll said the board has looked at a number of options for the end of the year should they be retained.
 
“A couple of options have been thrown around the board room since we returned from the UK. One is to ask the FNRL if they would accept an offer from an Australian Fijians team to play a Fiji Residents team in Fiji that would act as an official selection trial for the Fiji Bati and to be played under the “Battle of the Bati” title as it was last year. That would all depend on Pacific Cup scheduling by the RLIF and whether or not the scheduling of such a match would be at a suitable time for players playing in competitions in Australia. For something like this to eventuate it would need to be approved by the FNRL and the RLIF before we can look at everything else that would be involved in having this match staged. Another option mentioned was a tournament in North Queensland or a possible match against the American Tomahawks in the USA. We’ll be able to look further into these options and know more after the AGM and then hopefully a new Head Coach will be appointed soon after that.”
 
The AFRL would like to call on all expressions of interest to be sent to info@afrl.com.au.
 
 In your letter you should list:
-         your personal details
-         your current coaching qualifications
-         previous and current coaching experience
 
All expressions of interest will be handed over to the newly elected board at the first board meeting in February where a decision will be made by them and announced via the AFRL website www.afrl.com.au .

          
2009 AFRL Sevens Coach Daryl ‘Dirty” Neville