Editorial: 7s partnership still strong after 50 years, more still to come

The 50th Fiji Bitter Marist 7s tournament is now done and dusted.

It has been a long, long journey. The tournament first started in 1976 as the Saint John Marist 7s tournament.

History tells that former students of St John’s College from Cawaci, Ovalau, had settled in Suva for work, formed the St John’s rugby club under the guidance of the late George Reade.

This was around 1969 while in Suva, former Marist Brothers High School students also formed another rugby club named Albions.

Both clubs struggled in the Suva Rugby Union’s club competition against pioneering clubs like Kadavu, Gaunavou, Castaway, Police, Lomavata and Army.

Since both schools were under the Catholic Church of Fiji, Albions officials approached Reade who was leading the St John’s club for a possible merger.

This was soon materialised and saw the birth of the St John’s Marist rugby club.

The idea to hold an annual 7s rugby tournament came about during a grog session when Reade asked the legendary Flying Fijians first-five eighth Pio Bosco Tikoisuva of an ideal off season training programme.

Tikoisuva, who had just returned from a three-year studying and playing for English club Harlequins, proposed for a 7s tournament.

The reason behind Tikoisuva’s suggestion was because this what they did in England where the club played in the Middlesex 7s tournament and also other parts around England and France.

This was where they drew up the plans for the first tournament, which was played at the MBHS ground in Flagstaff with seven clubs while Carlton Brewery (now known as Paradise Beverages) sponsored the first tournament with five cartons of Fiji Bitter.

With the rebranding of the tournament to Marist 7s, the sponsorship with Fiji Bitter has continued on throughout the 50 years making the tournament one of the biggest not only in Fiji but around the region as well.

The tournament over the years has served its purpose of giving exposure to grassroots clubs, identification of talented players and providing our national teams a training ground by allowing them to play in the tournament (before participating in the HSBC SVNS).

Players who first stamped their mark in the tournament before representing the country included the likes of Tikoisuva, Robert Howard, Rupeni Ravonu, Sainivalati Laulau, Apisai Sesewa, Maika Toga, Manasa Qoro, Savenaca Aria, Tomasi Cama, Esala Labalaba, Sakaraia Nacaka, Isei Nasiganiyavi, Dominiko Manaseitava, Paulo Nawalu, Niko Baleiverata, Marika Vunibaka, Sireli Bobo, Waisale Serevi, Vesito Rauluni, Mesake Rasari, Williame Ryder and the list goes on.