Fiji Airways Fijian 7s forward Meli Derenalagi has set out his plans for the new 2019/2020 World Rugby Sevens Series, which starts in Dubai from December 5 to 7.

The Nawaka, Nadi, native knows it will be a busy season with the Olympic year where Fiji will defend the gold medal in Tokyo, Japan, on July 2020.

He highlighted two main areas of his preparation, which he believes will boost his performance in the new season.

“For me personally, I know I have to strict on my diet, no carbohydrate foods and also I need more time to rest,” Derenalagi said.

“We will need to maintain consistency from the 2018/2019 series and lift our preparation to another level if we want to defend that gold medal at the Olympics.”

“For my physical preparation, there are steps to follow in order to get to that level and get my body prepared for the series.”

The Able Seaman from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Naval Division was named the World Rugby 7s rookie of the year in the 2018/2019 series. He played 55 matches out of 60 last season and scored 17 tries.

Sevens calendar

World Rugby has confirmed the schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 in what will be the biggest season to date, with Fiji and New Zealand fighting to retain the men’s and women’s titles respectively.

The women’s competition will increase from six to eight rounds for the first time with six of those being combined men’s and women’s events, while the men’s circuit will once again be contested across 10 rounds.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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