USA head coach Sione Fukofuka has stepped away from his position after the team’s pool stage exit on points difference at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
The former Australia and Queensland Reds assistant coach was appointed head coach of the USA Women’s national side in November 2023 and had a largely positive tenure.
He led the side to Rugby World Cup qualification with the Women’s outfit seeing immense growth in professionalism and high performance qualities under his stewardship.
Australia return
Fukofuka and his family intend to return home to Australia following the recent completion of the Rugby World Cup campaign and he spoke about why he is leaving the post.
“I have been honoured and privileged to lead the USA Women’s Eagles for the past two years into the Rugby World Cup,” he said.
“The staff and players have been a pleasure to work with and have committed countless hours to move the program into a high performance environment, changing the game on and off the field.
“I want to thank them for their commitment, their trust in the program and where we were building.”
He added: “I have made the difficult decision to step down from my role as head coach and return to Australia to prioritise my family, I want to thank Tamara Sheppard for her support and understanding.
“This team is special and leaving is hard, however I am confident the program is in an exciting position for the future.
“The potential in the current squad and the players coming through the pathway is world class, I look forward to seeing that potential translate in the future.
“I would like to thank the USA Women’s Rugby community for their support during my time as head coach, the USA Sevens program, along with the many colleges and club programs I was able to connect with.
“The future is bright and the next Rugby World Cup cycle will be an exciting growth of performance built on strong foundations.”
Lifted standards
General Manager of High Performance, Sheppard, added: “We want to thank Sione for his unwavering commitment and leadership over the past two years. He lifted the standards across our entire program, instilling a culture of excellence, accountability, and hard work.
“His impact will be felt for years to come, and we wish him nothing but success in his next chapter.”
USA Rugby has confirmed that they will immediately begin the recruitment process for a new Women’s head coach, with the first-team set to regroup early in the new year.