Army Rugby Union announce Jonasa 'Junior' Bulumakau as new under-23s head coach

Jonasa 'Junior' Bulumakau has been announced as the new head coach of the British Army under-23s rugby union team.

He replaces Gareth Slade-Jones in the role after the Royal Army Physical Training Corps soldier signed off his four-year spell in charge with a 19-6 defeat to the Navy, which gave the Senior Service the Inter Services championship in Aldershot.

Bulumakau has been a leading figure within Army rugby as a player and a coach, and is one of the most popular men within forces rugby.

• RAF represented in British and Irish Lions tour for first time since Rory Underwood in 1993
• Army's Ollie Cross hits century as UK Armed Forces impress in comfortable victories
• New faces on top as British Army crowns first time men's and women's tennis champions

In both 2015 and 2017, he was awarded the player of the match award at Twickenham Stadium as the Army beat the Navy, and also represented the UK Armed Forces team on a number of occasions.

In civilian rugby, Bulumakau was a force, whether he was playing for Glasgow Warriors, Doncaster Knights or Coventry RFC.

He also received an international call-up for Scotland at the Wellington Sevens and came off the bench to score against South Africa.

In 2020, he focused on his coaching career and has had a trophy-filled time on the sidelines so far, including a Championship title with Caledonia Reds (as backs coach), Army Unit title with 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (as head coach), back-to-back Inter Services titles with the Army in Scotland team (as backs coach) and three league championships with the Infantry (as head coach).

During the 2023/24 season, he joined Lieutenant Colonel Tim Osman's backroom staff with the Army men's senior team and played a pivotal role as Attack Coach in the Army's Inter Service triumph.

He takes on the role for a two-year stint and told the Army Rugby Union website what the role means to him.

He said: "It's a real honour to be named head coach of the Army U23s. This team was a key part of my own journey, and I’m passionate about helping young players develop both as athletes and as people.

"I’ve seen first-hand the impact that the right coaching and environment can have, and I'm looking forward to building something special with this group."

The Director of Army Rugby Union, Lieutenant Colonel David Falconer, said: "Junior is a product of the Army U23 pathway, and his appointment is a fantastic full-circle moment.

"His deep understanding of our ethos, his professional playing experience, and his proven success as a coach make him the ideal candidate to lead our U23s. We're excited to see how he helps shape the next generation of Army rugby talent."