OpinionSnuffed out by England, Ben Ryan’s fire is reignited by Fiji as he seeks pastures new after incredible Olympics gold grab
The English coach will return to Fiji for the remaining few weeks of his contract while he considers his next move
Ben Ryan said he was going back to Fiji “to try and hide” before leaving his job as coach of their rugby sevens team.
After nearly three years in the job, Ryan’s contract expires on September 3, and he’s not of a mind to renew it.
That despite admitting the islanders had helped restore his “fire” – on a personal and professional level – after his spell as England’s longest serving sevens coach from 2007 to 2013 left him disillusioned with the power brokers at the Rugby Football Union and questioning his future in the game.
Three years on and Ryan will return to Fiji as a national hero after his team won the country’s first ever Olympic medal with a victory in Rio that had strangers to the game of sevens all over the world almost as blown away as Great Britain’s players were in the final.
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He’s going back for the celebrations and to see out his contract and then it’s on to pastures new. He hopes.