Gloucester Rugby’s head coach, George Skivington, dedicated part of his rare summer break to conducting a specialist three-day coaching clinic in Fiji. His mission was to enhance the skills of Fijian coaches, focusing on setpiece mastery—a crucial aspect of the game.
As a former lock and assistant coach with Samoa during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Skivington brought extensive expertise to the training sessions, concentrating on mauls, lineouts, and scrummaging. These elements have long been his coaching specialties.
The clinic combined various teaching methods, including classroom instruction, video analysis, whiteboard explanations, and practical, on-field demonstrations. Skivington worked closely with coaches from Fiji’s rugby pathway, particularly the Pacific Island nations' U20 squad, in preparation for the upcoming U20 World Championships in Georgia, which start this weekend.
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Fiji Rugby released a statement highlighting the importance of the programme: “The knowledge shared during the three-day clinic is expected to leave a lasting impact across Fiji’s rugby pathway, reinforcing the foundations of the game from grassroots to international levels. This initiative further strengthens the valued partnership between Fiji Rugby and Gloucester Rugby.”
Adding a personal connection to the collaboration, Fiji Rugby CEO Koli Sewabu is a former Gloucester player and became the first Fijian to represent the club during the 2001/02 season. While there are currently no Fijian players at Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium, notable players like Akapusi Qera and Albert Tuisue have previously donned the Cherry and White jersey.
Back in England, Gloucester players not on international duty will return for pre-season training on July 13 after a five-week break. Skivington emphasized the forward momentum, saying, “There has been a lot of planning already done. With new coaches joining, I want to ensure we are as prepared as possible. There are many exciting developments ahead, and our internationals will return throughout the summer.”
Looking ahead to the 2026/27 season, Gloucester has already strengthened its coaching staff by adding forwards coach Brett Deacon from Leicester Tigers and defence coach Joel Tomkin, who joins from rugby league’s Catalan Dragons.