At the first board meeting of the AFRL after its February AGM the AFRL made its first announcement confirming it would be accepting an offer from the organizers of Polyfest 2011 to play the Australian Maori u/18 team as the curtain raiser to the Australian Maori senior team match to be played on the Gold Coast.
The ‘Fiji Me’ Australian Fijians will send a full strength u/18’s team to the Gold Coast event with players to come from NSW, QLD and invitations will be extended to the elite players in that age group from Fiji and NZ.
Shane Millard will coach the side and to be assisted by newly promoted u/16’s coach Joe Saukuru.
For assistant coach Joe Saukuru the opportunity to be a part of this team is an exciting one.
“To be given the 16’s job is a real honour for me this year after being Chris O’Connell’s assistant last year. To get the chance to assist Shane Millard at this event makes this year an even more exciting one for me. Our u/16’s team is always really strong and to also be the assistant coach of a full strength AFRL u/18’s team at Polyfest will be a real experience and great for my personal development as a coach.”
Saukuru will begin his 2011 coaching duties when he takes charge of an AFRL u/17’s nine a side at a tournament organized by the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the NSWRL at the NCIE, Redfern on May 9.
Saukuru is the first Indigenous Fijian to be a head coach of an AFRL team. This has been part of the AFRL’s long term plan to not only help develop Australian Fijian players into Fiji Bati representatives but also to develop Australian Fijian’s into coaches and trainer by having them work along side the Daryl Neville’s and Hassan Chalich’s of this world.
The Australian Fijian U/18’s team will be announced by Shane Millard after the KooGa shield in late September.
become a fan!
