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Peceli Yato has quit Fiji and won't feature at Rugby World Cup 2023
By Liam Heagney
Fiji got their match preparations for Rugby World Cup 2023 underway with a 36-20 home win over Tonga in Lautoka on Saturday, but this opening round PNC success wasn’t the only talking point as head coach Simon Raiwalui confirmed afterwards that Peceli Yato had quit the squad and won’t feature at the finals in France.
The 30-year-old veteran of the 2015 and 2019 World Cups had been training with the squad until early this week when he quit ahead of what was Fiji’s only home match in 2023. Yato was the player who made headlines in 2019 when on the receiving end of a crunching Reece Hodge tackle which resulted in a citing and suspension for the Australian winger.
A report on FBC News, the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, read: “The Fiji Water Flying Fijians will be going to the Rugby World Cup without one of their key and senior players Peceli Yato. Coach Simon Raiwalui has confirmed that Yato removed himself from the camp earlier this week.
“The Nadroga man trained with the team at the Sigatoka sand dunes last weekend and was part of their training session on Monday. Raiwalui says Yato left the squad on his own accord. He adds they had a situation where Yato chose to leave the camp and they respect his decision.
“The national coach adds Yato led from the front in their past three weeks together. Raiwalui says at the moment no new players will be brought in to replace Yato.”
Yato is the second player in recent days to become unavailable to Fiji for World Cup selection. Seasoned lock Api Ratuniyarawa, who was left clubless when London Irish financially collapsed at the end of the 2022/23 season in England, has decided to take up an offer to join Bayonne in the Top 14 rather than stay and compete for a spot in the Fiji squad.
FBC explained: “Coach Simon Raiwalui says he had an emotional conversation with Ratuniyarawa. Raiwalui says sometimes in life, you have to make a decision about what’s best for the family. Last month Ratuniyarawa’s club London Irish was dissolved financially leaving around 100 players and staff jobless. Raiwalui says Ratuniyarawa will leave the squad on August 1.”
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Latest Comments
Steve Hansen stepped down as ABs coach aged 60, Graham Henry did so at 65, Robbie Deans quit the Wallabies job at 54, and Wayne Smith left the ABs aged 60.
Most of them have had lesser jobs since then, but its only Graham Henry who could really be said to have coached at the top level “well into his 60s”. He’s a bit of an outlier, and that was 14 years ago. Its very possible that that will change, but I’m not seeing much evidence of that!
One factor that might be important is that NBA and the NFL are 1 league sports. Rugby league is pretty much a 2 league sport, and those 2 leagues are so far apart there can’t be much trading between them. Rugby union and especially association football have many more leagues, and so there are more opportunities for younger managers to break through.
Also, the fact that Rugby tends to have less chopping and changing of coaches is an argument against hiring older coaches. Hire a good coach in his 40s and he could stay in the job for 20 years, but realistically how long would Les Kiss be the best coach in Australia for?
Go to commentsI’d probably agree this is a tour too early but Lions do have a rich history of capping bolters and Pollock isnt as far behind as many say. I think you under-estimate his jackle work as he has a great turnover rate at club level and even at England A, he even got one against Wales
Fact is the nature of the game is changing and fast lighter backrows becoming more and more common as ball in play times go up and teams look to play wider. He is faces a challenge to make the initial squad but he is definately part of the conversation
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