Olympian and former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Samisoni Viriviri has signed-up with the South China Tigers to compete in Andrew For­rest’s Global Rapid Rugby.

“I just felt this was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to,” said the soft spoken Dratabu, Nadi native.

Viriviri is rooming with former English Rugby Premiership all-time leading try scorer Tom Varn­dell.

The 33-year-old, who has had a decorated career for various clubs and country, just signed with the Ti­gers who are the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s team in the GRR.

Varndell recently axed a short stint in France to play for that very reason.

He said the cultural barrier was too high for he and his family, and thus after six games with Soyaux Angouleme, a team based in the southwest of France, he headed back to familiar territory: the Leicester Tigers, the squad he played for last in 2009.

“I’m fresh off the boat as they say,” said Varndell.

Varndell was contacted by Hong Kong Rugby Union national men’s backs coach Scott Sneddon, and said after a few weeks, decided to talk to Leicester Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy, who gave his blessing for a three-month hiatus.

The Tigers will play their first game in GRR’s condensed 2019 “showcase series” on March 29 against the Western Force in Perth.

They will then play the Asia-Pacif­ic Dragons on April 21 in Hong Kong at the Aberdeen Sports Ground, and then head to Singapore to play the Dragons on April 28.

The Tigers will round out with a final game against the Force at Ab­erdeen Sports Ground on May 12.

Varndell said he is excited to have a few pints in the stands during the Hong Kong Sevens (April 5-7) as a fan for the first time, but first, he needs to gel with his new team-mates.

Edited by Sheldon Chanel

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