Overseas-based rugby players wanting to represent Fiji at next year’s Olympic Games must come over to train and play in the upcoming World Sevens Series.

This is the message from head coach Gareth Baber indicating that overseas-based players will have to adapt to the training techniques and most importantly blend in with the other players in the extended squad.

Fiji Airways Flying Fijians flanker Semi Kunatani has indicated his interest to play in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. It is understood that other players like Josua Tuisova and Semi Radradra could be considered as well.

Speaking to SUNsports yesterday Baber said overseas based-players need to prove themselves if they are to make the final cut.

“Semi (Radradra) has a possibility to play in the Olympics and so are the Flying Fijian players that have the ability to play 7s,” he said.

“They need to be here and adapt to the programme we have and get used to the system. We need to give them more game time.

“So if Semi is to play in the Olympics he has to be part of the team. I need to see him and I need him to play for Fiji and so are the rest of the players.

“Obviously it depends on a lot of things the players need to be released from their clubs properly, so we can work with them.”

Heading into the first leg of the 2019/20 World Sevens Series on December 5-7, Baber’s intention is to win the opening tournament in Dubai.

“Everybody had a long offseason and they’ve been working in getting their game where they want it to be. “It’s not only the beginning of a new 7s series year, it is also the Olympic year, for us as a team our intention is to win every tournament that we play in. My intention is to perform well in these two as well,” he said.

“They know exactly where they are when it comes to preparations. It’s important to get momentum into the tournament. In the last two years, we’ve played a little bit of catch-up but we proved ourselves to be strong through the tournament.

“This year we want to see us do it a bit quicker and have the confidence to play the sort of rugby that we are known for when we reach the middle of the series.”

Baber has confidence in the team’s game plan and structure ahead of the Dubai tournament.

“I don’t need to look far from what we did last year. We’ve won five tournaments the year before so we don’t need to panic about looking on how to improve on our game all the time. We’ve obviously been doing something right to have won those tournaments,” he added.

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