Source: Radio New Zealand
Fiji led the HSBC SVNS Series all the way through the season, only to lose the title when they lost 10-7 to South Africa at the New York 7s final, the deciding event. Supplied/HSBC SVNS
Fiji men’s sevens rugby team head coach says being consistent at this weekend’s annual Hong Kong Sevens tournament will mean winning the title that has evaded the team since 2019.
Osea Kolinisau, a former winner at the event, including scoring a hat-trick of tries in the 2013 final against Wales, told World Rugby this week his team needs to do what they have been doing almost all season: be consistent.
Fiji led the HSBC SVNS Series all the way through the season, only to lose the title when they lost 10-7 to South Africa at the New York 7s final, the deciding event.
“I’m proud of the consistency – we’ve become the most consistent team in the series. I told the boys, ‘You want to be consistent, let’s be consistent in winning’,” Kolinisau said.
“It’s a process, we are on a good trajectory towards the Olympics in 2028.”
Fijian fans treat Hong Kong as the tournament to win and Kolinisau knows that.
Experience and debutants
Having arrived in Hong Kong two weekends ago, Kolinisau and the team used their time on the former British Colony to work on their team combinations and areas they needed to polish.
It included having some game time against local sides, giving the players the opportunity to get some real-time game situations.
They even had the chance to have a run at the old Hong Kong Stadium, venue of the tournament from 1982 until 2024.
Kolinisau said the experience was an eye-opener for the players.
“A lot of the new boys, you could see it in their faces, were thinking, ‘Oh, this is where all those guys played’,” Kolinisau said.
“The legends, the players before us that set the platform and that we grew up watching played here. Just walking in you could feel the history coming flooding back.
“Everyone wants to win in Hong Kong because our legends played and won here.”
Osea Kolinisau Fiji Rugby Union
The Fijians have been big winners in Hong Kong, claiming the title 19 times, becoming the most successful team in the tournament’s history since 1976.
They won five consecutive titles between 2015 and 2019.
They also claimed two Sevens Rugby World Cup titles in So Kon Po, in 1997 and 2005.
Kolinisau said his current squad have their job cut out for them, with a number of new guns playing at the event for the first time.
Nacani Boginisoko and Douglas Daveta joined the team during the series and have shown their worth, improving as they grew into the team.
They will make their Hong Kong 7s debut along with Tomasi Stark, called up for the first time on this tour.
“He just showed up out of nowhere, he was the top try scorer in the Coral Coast (a famous annual sevens tournament featuring local club and international teams),” Kolinisau said of 24-year-old Stark.
“It’s his first time abroad and I was telling him, ‘Man, your debut in Hong Kong … it’s huge’.”
Challenge
Kolinisau said the team will also honour the late Fijian president Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, who will be buried in Fiji on Friday, following his state funeral in Suva.
He said the late Ratu Epeli was an ardent sevens rugby fan and “he’s a big part of our nation and always supported the team”.
“Met him a few times at the Singapore Sevens … he was always there supporting us,” Kolinisau said.
“We will honour him this weekend when we play.”
Pools
This year’s event is extra special for all teams, being the 50th tournament.
It will also be the first of three tournaments in the World Championship, which basically replaces the four-yearly Sevens Rugby World Cup.
Kolinisau said that also puts pressure on the team.
Not wanting to focus too much on where they want to go from day two on Saturday, the former Olympic Games gold medallist said beating Germany in their opening pool game was critical.
Fiji is pooled with Germany, Great Britain and France in Pool B.
Pool A has Argentina, South Africa, Spain and Uruguay, while Pool C has New Zealand, Kenya, USA and Australia.
In the women’s competition Fijiana will face Japan, Brazil and New Zealand in Pool A.
Australia are in Pool B with Canada, South Africa and Great Britain.
Pool C has Argentina, Spain, USA and France.
Fijiana will face Japan on Friday night in their opening game, with coach Richard Walker pointing to discipline and execution as the two main areas they are focusing on.
Walker said apart from these two main areas, they have just been fine tuning other areas of their game.
New Zealand and Kenya will kick off the pool matches at 12:47pm on Saturday in a Pool C clash.
Finals are scheduled for Sunday evening.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
