Baber, a former Wales sevens player and assistant coach, is no stranger to uprooting his family to pursue his coaching career. He left Cardiff Blues to begin a successful stint as head of rugby in Hong Kong three years ago and will replace Ben Ryan as Fiji’s head coach in the New Year.
The popular Ryan guided Fiji to the World Series title last season and also became a national hero when guiding the country to its first gold medal at an Olympics, when Fiji claimed gold in Rio, dismantling Team GB in a one-sided final.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead – any coach would say going to coach the Olympic champions and world champions is a massive challenge, but it is one I want to grab hold of,” he said.
“Obviously the standards they have managed to achieve by being Olympic champions and double back-to-back World Series champions is a good one to start with.
“Ben obviously created a system from which he had success, but I’m confident of what I am going to bring to the post and the way I want to do things will hopefully generate sustainability in their performances and we’ll go on to do some good stuff over the next three or four years.”
Despite Ryan’s success at the helm, Baber is hoping to put his own stamp on the squad, albeit with a softly, softly approach rather than with a sledgehammer.
“Every coach wants to put their own mark on a team – but it doesn’t happen immediately – there has been a lot of good stuff over the last three or four years under Ben and I’m sure with previous coaches as well.
“There is a huge amount of talent in Fiji and I’m very excited to look at the younger talent as well to push and create pressure within the Fijian squad. They are world champions for a reason, they are Olympic champions for a reason, it would be slightly naïve of me to walk in there and start changing things.
“Going to a place like Fiji, I have to get to understand very quickly the mentality of the group of players and specifically the individuals as I’ll be asking them to travel the world and perform for their country.
“I am going to want to find ways for them develop as individuals as well – if I didn’t understand that and the way they work and what makes them Fijians and what makes their culture so strong and rich in rugby, then I wouldn’t be doing what I regard as being a good coach. I get the sense that is what Ben identified as a way to get success and something I pride myself on being able to do.”
The entire country of Fiji comes to a complete standstill whenever the national sevens team take centre stage, but that expectation doesn’t intimidate Baber.
“I don’t coach because I shy away from the pressure – as a coach it’s not all plain sailing, my life is not going to be all about Olympic wins and World Series wins, there will be a lot of graft that goes in that and part and parcel of doing that is the pressure that comes with it – granted it is a step up in terms of Fiji and wherever Fiji play around the world the country stops to watch them but I grew up in Wales and we’re just as mad in Wales.
“I’ve grown up with that and whilst I was at the Blues and involved in Welsh rugby you get similar scrutiny put upon you. It’s something that I have experienced and it’s something I am going to continue to experience but for me as an individual it is a great challenge.”
Baber, who had a distinguished playing career as a winger and scrum half with Cardiff, Pontypridd, Aberavon and Bristol along with Newport Gwent Dragons, admits, however, it will be strange coming up against Gareth Williams’ Wales team on the World Series.
“It will be strange – I’ve always wanted Wales to do well, they are my nation. I will have a similar situation when I see Hong Kong play I suppose. My job is going to be with Fiji and, ideally, I want to make sure all my emotions are devoted to making sure we can get the best out of them as players.
“When playing against Gareth I’m sure we will have a beer afterwards but the reality is when it does happen you end up back in business. I know Gareth very well, we’ve played together and coached together as well so it will be great to come face to face with him.”
