World Rugby commentator Karl Te Nana believes the Fijian side is expected to be a different team at the Hamilton 7s next weekend.

The late Jonah Lomu’s family, Te Nana and families arrived yesterday to be part of the 10th year celebration of the 2020 McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens which starts today with the youth competition at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka.

“It is a big year for Fiji with the Olympics coming up as well,” Te Nana said.

“You need to have big squads in this World Sevens Series and coach Gareth Baber will get some guys out of this tournament.

“It has been a slow start for the Fijian boys in the first two tournaments of the World Sevens Series. It happened to everyone but at the back of their mind there is probably the Olympic dream down the track in July so it is a long way to go and I think it is the major goal for them.”

He added when someone wears the Fiji jersey he needs to perform up to par.

“You are supposed to win and you have to win. “That’s the pressure in that jersey. So, I know that Fiji team will not be happy and they will come over to Hamilton next week a different team,” Te Nana said.

“They have a pretty successful track record and I know that they will be playing in front of many of their fans. It will be like playing at home in Suva. So, they will be alright next week and that will be the catalyst to get back on track in this series.

He believes the 10th Fiji Coral Coast 7s is hugely important.

“A lot of the players have come out of the Coral Coast 7s. So it is good for the guys to put their names on the map and put their names forward for this year’s series,” he said.

Te Nana is a former New Zealand rugby 7s player.

Edited by Osea Bola

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