Former Cook Islands rugby star player and Avatiu Nikao Eels coach, Clive Nicholas, has been appointed as the new head coach of the national rugby 7s team.

Cook Islands Rugby Union appointed Nicholas, a well decorated coach in both rugby union and league for all forms of the game including 7s, after a rigorous selection process.

Last week at the Cook Islands Games 2024, he coached Team Rarotonga to gold medal in the 9s rugby league competition. Nicholas has also coached the Avatiu premier men’s team to titles in both union and league and was the coach of the Cook Islands 9s team that won the bronze medal at the 2023 Pacific Games. He has also tasted victories at 7s in Heaven and Raro 7s tournaments over multiple years.

Nicholas said he was excited and nervous at the same time when he found out about his appointment.

“First of all, I’m a local boy, born but raised in New Zealand, from the Avatiu Nikao Club, raised in Ruatonga, raised in Avatiu, been a part-time coach, player for the past 15 years. I’ve just seriously thought about full-time coaching just two years ago,’ he said.

Nicholas says his immediate priority as the new national 7s head coach is to assemble a group of players who are ready to commit not just to the game but to winning.

“The reason why I was nervous was because I see Cook Islands rugby, and especially Cook Islands sevens, is at an all-time low and I wasn’t afraid to say that to the president last year, and also to a lot of the rugby followers in the last couple of months, in the past year,” he said.

“It’s nothing to do with players and the coaching, but I shared this with a lot of the rugby followers, so hence the reason why I said excited and nervous at the same time, because now I’ve been given the task to change that.”

Cook Islands Rugby Union said Nicholas was the right fit for the job due to his past and current experiences in rugby through playing and coaching.

“The history of his winning is right in front of us, but just the way he talks, it’s all about we’ve got to win, we’ve got to win something, we’ve got to grab something, but the fitness is big, the culture is big, and removing the toxicity and all those big tears and that’s what we really, really wanted to learn,” CIRU announced.

Nicholas will be supported by an experienced coaching crew comprising manager and technical analyst - Simon Iopu Johnston, physio, mental health - Jana Whitta, strength and conditioning - Andrew Iroa and strength and conditioning advisor - Nic Gill.