Olympic Gold Medal Must Be Defended, Says Tuwai

Double Olympics gold medallist Jerry Tuwai said the Olympic medal must be defended and as a fan he anticipates the result.

"We all want the HSBC SVNS series title, and we want to defend the Olympic gold medal," Tuwai said  yesterday.

"At this point, I'm a fan of Fiji sevens rugby. I support the boys one hundred per cent no matter what."

Tuwai over the weekend took to social media his feelings after Ben Gollings set out the criteria for the playmaker's return increasing the pressure on the head coach who has not brought in a HSBC SVNS series win since last season.

Gollings, during a press conference last Friday at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, told journalists that Tuwai needed to start again from provincial sevens if he wanted to part of the national sevens squad preparing for the Paris Olympics in July.

Gollings, who took over from Gareth Baber, said: "Tuwai needs to fight his way back into the Fiji Airways men's 7s team if he wants to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Olympics."

Fiji men’s rugby sevens captain, Jerry Tuwai

Tuwai wrote: "He (Gollings) is a good man and great human being but the task that is given to him is more than he can handle."

"I have played under great leaders and I had the honour in leading our warriors into battle. I don't like doing a lot of talking but I have to defend my honour. I am still happy, I am still cheering. I still have Fiji in my heart. Go Fiji Go. The thing I am trying to say is that I am out of the programme because something I did that will benefit the team."

Tuwai last competed at the London 7s in May last year and was left out of the Fiji sevens squad for the opening rounds of the 2023-2024 HSBC SVNS Series in Dubai and Cape Town last month.

Feedback: ioane.asioli@fijisun.com.fj