By Adam Sheldon

Easts’ new general manager Mosese Rauluni said the club was determined to turn the heartbreak of last season into significant progress in 2026, after the Tigers’ Hospital Cup campaign ended earlier than hoped despite a strong regular-season run.

Easts led the competition for much of the year, finishing second behind Brothers, before being eliminated from finals in straight sets following losses to Brothers and eventual premiers Bond.

Rauluni told Rugby News the first grade squad, already well into pre-season training under the watchful eye of head coach Simon Craig, was keen to build on what had been a significant step forward in 2025.

“Last year was good learning,” he said.

“We were on top of the table at the halfway mark, then we started losing some players to injury. The boys and Simon would have been disappointed with how the season ended, but there were a lot of positives to take out of it.”

Appointed as general manager at Easts, Rauluni’s role is effectively the club’s director of rugby.

“That’d be fair to say,” Rauluni said.

“There’s no real director of rugby, so I look after the rugby side and bounce ideas with the board. It’s about getting alignment across the whole club.”

Few figures understand Easts as intimately as Rauluni. A former Fiji international scrum-half who earnt 43 caps, he has been part of the club for more than four decades – first as a player, then a coach, and now in a senior management role.

His playing career included time with Saracens in England, while his coaching CV spans the Saracens Academy, assistant coaching roles with Fiji across three Rugby World Cups, and most recently a stint as head coach of the Fijian Drua Women in 2024.

“I’ve always been around the club when I wasn’t with Fiji,” Rauluni said.

“I started coaching first grade in 2019. I’ve done the baby steps along the way and been through a few high-performance systems, so I know what it’s about.”

A passionate Tigers man, Rauluni said he was excited for the season.

“It’s about covering not only the seniors but also the women and junior streams,” he said.

“Getting down to sessions and helping out. During the season it’s going to be long hours, but it’s a job I love.”

At Hospital Cup level, Rauluni is deliberately staying in the background, supporting Craig and his staff rather than imposing change from above.

“They’ve been steering the ship well,” he said.

“I just assist where I can: recruitment, getting players in, and helping behind the scenes.”