Wesele takes charge of Fiji Bulikula ahead of World Cup

Jone Wesele has stepped into the role of head coach for the Fiji Bulikula women's rugby league team, bringing his vision for both immediate World Cup success and the future growth of the sport in Fiji.

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I’d like to thank my predecessor for all the hard work that he has done. It’s truly humbling to be the head coach of Fiji Bulikula.

"It’s truly humbling to be the head coach of Fiji Bulikula," Wesele stated, expressing his honor at being entrusted with leading the national women's side. As a former Fiji Bati representative, he takes over from Joe Dakuitoga and has thanked his predecessor for his hard work. Wesele also acknowledged the confidence placed in him by those involved in the selection process.

With the Rugby League World Cup just a month away, Wesele's immediate priority is preparing the team for the global tournament. However, he also emphasized a crucial long-term objective: establishing a more robust domestic pathway for female players.

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I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in selecting the successor and for trusting me.

Wesele believes that fostering the growth of women's rugby league in Fiji hinges on creating consistent opportunities for girls and women to compete. "We can see now that there is a need to have local competitions for our girls and our women," he said. He aims to collaborate with rugby league stakeholders to develop structured competitions that mirror those available to men and boys, thereby helping female players rise to higher levels of competition.

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We can see now that there is a need to have local competitions for our girls and our women.

The Bulikula will continue their World Cup preparations under Wesele's guidance, while the coaching staff simultaneously works on building a stronger foundation for the next generation of female talent in Fijian rugby league.

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That’s something that we really want to do, to build our girls so that they are exposed to competitions that will help them rise to a level where they can participate at a higher level.