The Fijian 7s extended squad are going to use the local tournaments to prepare for next year’s HSBC World Sevens Series and the Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan.

After their first camp in Suva last week, head coach Gareth Baber outlined his plans for the next few weeks.

“The boys are going to split into their clubs to play at the Wairiki 7s (Taveuni). After Wairiki we’ll come back and split into two Fijian teams to play at the Uluinakau 7s.

The three-day Fiji Bitter Wairiki 7s tournament gets underway in Taveuni on Thursday. Then on December 11-12 the Kombat Uluinakau 7s tournament will be at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori.

This was a similar format adopted by the late national sevens coach, Rupeni Ravonu when the training squad played in most local tournaments in 1996 under the name Speedwing.

This prepared the side to win the 1997 Sevens Rugby World Cup in Hong Kong.

Baber said getting the players back into their first camp allowed them to get back to the sevens environment and getting used to those high intensities.

“It was good that our camp was close the ground,” he added.

Baber highlighted that getting new players who had shone during the Skipper Cup competition and other local 7s tournaments have made the environment more competitive.

He was excited on having a prospect playmaker like Suva first five-eight Jone Manu joining camp.

“Jone has a good ball player mentality to put other people in, he’s a good distributor and has shown me that he’s a good defence and worker.”

In the forwards the newcomers Kitione Salawa, Taniela Sadrugu and Rusiate Nasove are battling it out.

“They have been physical and outworking each other. It’s good to be at that level of competition,” he added.

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