Members of the Digicel Fiji 7s side greet fans at the HP Fitzgerald Elementary School in Las Vegas. Photo: IAN MUIR

By ASUAD ALI
Vancouver, Canada

The USA 7s starts on Saturday and there will be no shortage of Fijian fans at the Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Anxious thousands will make up the biggest backdrop in round five of the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Amongst them will be Tevita Rawasalevu and Umesh Chand of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Rawasalevu said despite the Digicel Fiji 7s team anaemic effort in the Hertz Wellington 7s last weekend, he would continue to root for Fiji. He said the 19-28 loss to Canada in the Bowl final in all essence has energised the travelling pack.
“Once a Fijian always a Fijian. There’s no substitute for the love we have for our former countrymen and the sport that has made us our name,” Rawasalevu said.
“We lost the Wellington leg of the battle but the fight for top finish still rages on.”
He said Fiji needs to play with a lot of emotions and make up for its crushing loss to Canada and show the world what Fijian’s are made of.
Umesh Chand is of the understanding that Fiji will beat the criticisms with a much-co-ordinated effort.
“Fiji will step up to the plate, topple England in its opener and will win it all,” he said.
“The team needs to give it their all to avert negative criticisms being hurled at them again,” said Chand.
Rawasalevu believes a sound game plan combined with tactical and technical strategy will do the trick.
“Let’s put an end to the misery,” said the native of Nasilai, in Rewa.
“The boys need to be focused. They should shrug off the Wellington loss and look to the games ahead”.
Tom Khan of the Fijiana Travel and Tours told SUNsports that it had been a hectic last few weeks as rugby fans booked flights for the Las Vegas Sevens.
“I’ve had a steady stream of Fiji 7s fans buying tickets and inquiring about cheap flights to the south. It’s just been crazy all day,” he said.
Khan predicts some where in the vicinity of 2000 fans from BC alone will be Las Vegas. A local boutique store owner said Fiji flag was a hot item on sale list throughout the week.
Rawasalevu said he’ll show his patriotic support at the top of his lungs with a Fiji flag held up high.