Netball Fiji says it has not approached former Silver Ferns defender Vilimaina Davu about coaching the national team at next year's world championships in Suva.
Rumours continue to mount that Davu has agreed to coach Fiji in some capacity at the championships - if not as head coach
then as an assistant.
Davu denies the claims.
"I haven't thought about it at all," Davu said when asked if she intended helping Fiji next year. "I always want to coach one day and that is my plan, to finish off my netball and hopefully coach one day."
Davu, who played 55 games for Fiji before switching to New Zealand in 2000, said Netball Fiji had not approached her, which Netball Fiji secretary Wainakiti Bogidrau backed up.
"We are in the final process of selecting our coach now. So it is too late," Bogidrau said.
"We were quite surprised that she had retired from international netball. We want her to enjoy her retirement. We don't want to force her into doing anything. If she approaches Netball Fiji then maybe we will think about it."
Bogidrau said if someone had offered Davu the job it wasn't anyone from Netball Fiji.
Davu cannot play for Fiji in next year's world championships because the international rules state that if a player has played for one country in a world championships - as Davu did for New Zealand in 2003 - she cannot play for another in the following one.
Fiji is looking for a coach following the resignation of Australian Megan Simpson in August. Canterbury's Marg Foster applied but later withdrew, choosing instead to stay at the helm of the Canterbury Flames.
It is understood six coaches are in the running. Australian Julie Hoornweg, who coached Fiji from 1998 to 1999, was believed to be a strong contender. However, the Fiji Times reported that the Melbourne Phoenix coach decided against applying, choosing to concentrate on her club commitments and work with the Victorian Institute of Sport.
