MKN factor

Shad Alfaz Ali, Navua

Barcelona has MSN (Messi, Suarez and Neymar), Real Madrid has BBC, (Bale, Benzema and Cristiano) while Fiji has MKN, Mocenacagi, Kunavula and Nasoko.

Go Fiji Go.

Game plan

Sukha Singh,  Labasa

Gareth Baber said “we had a game plan” but the way the boys played in the finals was like they were playing for their lives. Anyway I like this coach, but like Osea Kolinisau said, he is still learning.

Keep on Keeping on.

Glorious Fijian 7’s flair

Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada

Wow, amazing, magnificent, too good, can’t be coached, are some of the words of praise heaped on our Vodafone Fijian 7s team as they finally broke out of their winless prison to reclaim Hong Kong three years in a row, with glorious Fijian 7s magic and flair.

The boys were just too good as they downed Canada in the quarter final, amazing in shutting down Australia in the semi final and just pure magic when they hit the Blitzbokke with a coconut to win in So Kon Po in style.

The way the commentators were raving about the Fijian flair and magic just kind of makes us a proud rugby sevens nation and I believe more Fijians will be sought after to represent other nations.

The big question now is, “Can our boys maintain this sevens breakout by winning the last three tournaments in front of them?”

South Africa is leading the series with 145 points while Fiji is second with 122 points and we can say that the 2016/17 HSBC World Sevens Series is theirs.

But sevens is an unpredictable game and if Fiji continues to soar while the Blitzbokke is crippled, anything can happen.

Thank you boys for the Hong Kong win and we all pray that we will see another round of glorious Fijian 7s flair at its  best in Singapore this week.

Go Fiji go!

Sleeping Giant

Epeli Rabua, Suva

The sleeping giant has awoken from its slumber, and everything is as it should be in Fiji.

The Vodafone Fijian 7s team has won the granddaddy of all 7s Tournaments, the Hong Kong 7s! And for a third consecutive year at that!

Given the law of averages, the most naturally gifted 7s team in the World, the Fiji 7s team with their pedigree of being the very best at the rugby 7s game would in 2017 win a tournament, and to do it on Son-Ko Po, the Fiji 7s team home ground away from home, is like Christmas come early for all Fijians.

It took a quite a while for the Fiji 7s giants to get out of their siesta and with an adrenaline shot in the form of Jasa Veremalua, another of effusiveness in Isake Katonibau and the Fijian 7s team were jolted awake with an intense rush to hit the ground flying.

Their brick-wall defence in the finals against South Africa  was like another giant of the sea, the great white shark, whom someone once noted that ‘there is only bad news, do not ask for the good, there isn’t any!’

World 7s has been put on notice – the Fijian 7s Giant has awoken and with one dragon slain, the Singapore dragon is warming the ground ready, awaiting with bated breath the  onslaught of Fijian 7s brilliance.

Toso Viti – We Believe We Will Win!!!

Tribute to Viliame Lilidamu

Samuela Kailawadoko, Nadi

With deepest sympathy as I remember the late Viliame Lilidamu – I recall that over and above Lilidamu’s outstanding playing contribution to his rugby club Mount St Mary’s of Nadi and Fiji rugby had a beautiful disposition for games, being the possessor of a perfect temper, a burning hatred of all things mean and unsporting. Full of fun.

Lilidamu was not a mean rugby player either, he was a former Marist Brothers High School and athletic sprint champion; he was a tough, stock winger and represented Nadi and Fiji rugby. I remembered in the mid- eighties , late nineties when we had a formidable Mount St Mary’s Rugby Club in the Nadi competition; Lilidamu was a member of the team that included Inoke and Sairusi Tabualevu, Raikuna brothers, Iokimi Finau brothers, Belasio Vukiwai, Asaeli Hughes, James Rodan, Mosese Coriakula and two sprinters Inia Seruiratu (current minister) and Marika Koroi another former Marist Brothers High School sprinter.

We had about six or seven Fiji reps in our team. No doubt this considerable playing achievement,together with renowned Mount St Mary’s Rugby Club hospitality made a very favourable impression on Lilidamu. I can recall vividly the good time that was had by all.

My last visit to Lilidamu – he admitted the illness is to carry him off, he became helpless in the hands of the unknown forces .

Dr Charles J Keating said: “When that moment comes before me like a dizzy abyss, give me confidence that I am surrendering myself to you. Age and illness are your beckoning fingers to ‘come home’”.

Rest in Peace, Tulili.