FIJI Airways Flying Fijians head coach John McKee expects a younger group of potential players to be identified early to replace those who will be retiring from international rugby and those who won’t be able to make it to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
According to McKee the overseas-based professional players who have returned from the RWC in Japan have a very short break as they have to go back to their respective clubs.
McKee said it was a big commitment for those players and they had a long year.
“That’s challenging, but that’s the world that we live in,” he said.
“For the Fiji Rugby Union and the Flying Fijians it is a time to do a good review of the campaign and formulate a plan for the next four years.
“As I have said before, having already qualified for the 2023 RWC, it makes that plan a little bit different from when you are trying to work out what you need to do to qualify.
“Looking at the squad, there will be some retirements and there will be some players who won’t get through to the next RWC.
“We will have to look at our younger group of players and look at the potential for next the RWC.
“We need to look at the strategies to bring them into the team in the next two years.”
The Flying Fijians have automatic qualification for the 2023 RWC after finishing third in Pool D.
