Sacramento Lions Head Coach Ifereimi Tawake recently hosted another Tawake Rugby Clinic in conjunction with the Northern California Rugby Football Union at the Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo, CA. Players from high school to men’s level attended the clinic to advance their rugby skills and fundamentals under the auspices of the well-known former Fijian national player and coach.

Coach Tawake and the Sacramento Lions have introduced the Tawake Rugby Clinics as a means of high-performance rugby instruction for all levels of rugby. Coach Tawake has already hosted three clinics from youth to men’s club and hopes to continue hosting these clinics throughout California. Tawake Rugby Clinics incorporate expert instruction on everything from health and fitness, proper training regiments, individual and team skills, position-specific training, and much more.  

“There aren’t many places you can go to find this type high-performance training and instruction,” stated Lions Manager Aaron Frederick.  “Coach Tawake has such great knowledge and passion for the sport of rugby, it is really a blessing to have him in Northern California so ready and willing to help grow the sport in the United States.”

Jeff Gillingham, a rising star who just joined the Lions after playing with Sacramento State and Aspen 7s, stated how beneficial attending the clinic was for him as a player transitioning from the college level to men's club.  

“Coach Tawake has such a great way of helping you understand the game. His rugby knowledge is endless and he has a unique way of showing you the intricacies of the sport," stated Gillingham.

"No matter how good you are, he can make you better.  And if you don’t know anything about the sport, you will learn a ton...If you want to get to the highest levels of the sport, coach Tawake is the guy to get you there.”

The Tawake Rugby Clinics are also helping coach Tawake obtain certification as an extended education instructor for USA Rugby. Once this certification is complete, other coaches in the United States can attend Tawake Rugby Clinics and obtain credits towards their coaching certifications.  

“The clinics have been a win-win for everyone involved,” added Frederick. “Players at all levels can improve their game, coaches can learn and improve their coaching strategies while obtaining official coaching certification, and most of all, coach Tawake gets to do what he loves and spread his wealth of knowledge for the game of rugby. Each clinic gets better and better.”

Coach Tawake’s wealth of knowledge has come from life-long involvement in the sport of rugby.  Tawake earned 46 international caps playing 8-man for Fiji and played in two Rugby World Cups (1991 and 1999).  He then went on to coach the Fijian National Team and other top clubs in Fiji.  He is also one of the leading scouts for the Fijian National Team and continues to recruit talent from the youth to men’s club levels.