Bula Drua

Mick Byrne is the head coach of the Fijian Drua. Hear how Mick made the transition from playing AFL to rugby, to AFL coach, rugby assistant coach, and now Head Coach of the new franchise in the Super Rugby competition, the Fiji Drua. We dive into the lessons Mick has learned over his extensive career, and why he chose to enroll in a psychology course to address his own ideas when his coaching wasn’t being acted on. Find out what differentiates a great coach from a good one, and why team culture and giving everyone a voice is so key in maintaining the relationship between assistant and head coach when challenges arise. Listen in to hear why Fijian players are so passionate, what this means for their game, and how the inclusion of two pacific island teams into Super rugby is helping prevent the skills drain to offshore teams. We wrap up with Mick’s hopes and goals for the Fijian Drua, and what you can expect from them going forward. 

• An introduction to Mick Byrne, head coach of the Fijian Drua. 
• How Mick landed the job after his roles as head coach in Australian Rules and assistant rugby coach.
• Why Mick made the switch from AFL to rugby and his journey from player to coach. 
• What differentiates the good coaches from the great coaches like Mick: different approaches to discipline and Mick’s enrolment in a psychology course. 
• Being the assistant coach at the Wallabies and the All Blacks, and what Mick learned about the game of rugby in the country.  
• How Mick coped with agitation and disagreements with the head coach: creating a unified team culture. 
• Why rugby in Fiji has become part of the fabric of the nation and why so many are passionate players and also fans of the team and the game. 
• What the pacific island teams are bringing to the Super Rugby franchise. 
• Managing coaching the Fijian Drua through the COVID-19 pandemic; the pros and cons. 
• How the induction of the Fijian Drua into Super rugby is addressing the loss of local players to offshore teams. 
• The coaching staff involved in the Fijian Drua. 
• How World Rugby is supporting the Fijian Drua.
• Mick's advice to other coaches and what he's learned throughout his career. 
• Sticking it out when the team turns on you: Mick’s suggestions on building a good environment. 
• Why the Fijian Sevens' success hasn't translated to Fijian 15-a-side. 
• Mick’s plans for the Fijian Drua going into the next phase of the season.
• The Fijian Drua’s chances in the Super Rugby pool, and their goals. 

“I actually started to really enjoy the Aussie rules game. Running around fit my build. I was able to do a lot more in Australian Rules football with my build than I was able to do in rugby.” — Mick Byrne [0:02:24] 

“My message wasn’t getting through. I still believe I was giving out good information, but it wasn’t being heard, it wasn’t being acted on. Something had to change: either I was going to have to give coaching away and get a real job, or I was going to have to work on myself.” — Mick Byrne [0:05:28] 

“When it came to rugby, [Fijians] play the good parts of rugby. They don’t get caught up in the aspects of the game that are a bit stifling, they like to play the fun parts of the game.” — Mick Byrne [0:10:30] 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mick Byrne on LinkedIn

Fijian Drua

Katrina Email Address

RugbyKO