A Busy 7s Start

The Fijian 7s training squad are gearing them­selves up for the tough season that lies ahead in 2021, which includes the Tokyo Olympics in Japan from July 23 to August 8.

Speaking to SUNsports after their training run at Albert Park, Suva, head coach Gareth Baber said they were going to have fre­quent training camps early in the new year.

“We’ll be setting up camps in January and February as we’re expecting things to start in March or April,” he said.

Baber said they had to re-do things after the Olym­pic Games was deferred due to the COVID-19 pan­demic.

Joining the training session were new inclu­sions like Nadi winger Vilikesa ‘Pocket’ Driu, Suva flanker Taniela Sadrugu, first five-eighth Jone Manu and even injured Olympian, Kitione Taliga.

Apart from Taliga, Baber said some of these players re­ally stood out well during the Skipper Cup com­petition.

“It was these players’ consistency, tackle ability, physicality and abili­ty to play 80 minutes of rugby week in and week out that I looked at.”

However, Baber said he was still keeping an eye out for potential players.

On the players, the Welshman said Driu was a finisher.

“He has been scoring tries in the skipper and that’s what we do in sevens. For Manu, he is a playmak­er and it’s good to try him out.”

Fijian 7s playmaker Livai Ikaniko­da admitted that things were going to be tough because the new players were going to compete for spots in the team.

“There will be pressure, but we have to work harder to keep our spot. It’s good to have Manu in the squad and as a playmaker we all have to play to our best,” Ikanikoda said.

Baber is pleased to have Taliga back in the squad as well.

“Kiti fractured his arm during the Marist 7s and he has been play­ing good sevens rugby for Police,” Baber said.

He also praised the return of for­mer captain, Kalioni Nasoko, from a career-threatening injury. Nasoko also played for Yasawa in the Skip­per Cup competition.

Meanwhile, Baber spoke on the topic “The Business of Rugby” at the Japan ICT Theatre, USP, in Suva on Wednesday.

He said when it came to the busi­ness of rugby, one of his chal­lenges was trying to harness the unique abilities of Fijian players and their talents for the sport.

“For rugby, the general system of the sport is, all the same, how­ever, here in Fiji it is played differ­ently and I still haven’t worked out how they do it,” he said.

“We want it to be mystical and almost not trainable, and people around the world can’t really work out how it is played. My role as a coach is to try and harness that and be able to help a player process that and to have a high-performance personality to be able to deliver.”

The head coach was also part of a panel discussion with panelists, including USP’s executive director and former Permanent for Youth and Sports, Jone Maritino Nemani, Oceania Rugby Women’s Director and World Rugby Council Member Cathy Wong, and Athlete repre­sentative on the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) Executive Board and Board Member, World Olympians Association, Carl Prob­ert, on the topic ‘Sports for Devel­opment and Peace’.

Edited by Naisa Koroi