Skipper Cup winning Coach Ilai Derenalagi has joined the Fijiana 7s coaching panel.

The Nadi mentor will assist the team for its World Cup campaign.

Coach Saiasi Fuli says Derenalagi adds depth to his coaching team and will help in skill development.

“We will discuss the role that he will look after just for this World Cup preparation. He has been doing well with Nadi, Farebrother champs and also the 2022 Skipper Cup champions.”

Fuli says Derenalagi will be back with Nadi when the Skipper season starts.

“Its the whole process of engaging and empowering our local coaches into the next phase which is from the provincial level into the national set-up. Its good that Ilai is not new in this environment, he is a former 7s rep, national 15s rep and he went to play professional rugby in France. We played together in Nabua, its not new and it’s good that he is with us just for this campaign.”

The World Cup kicks off next month at Cape Town in South Africa.