Gollings is Here, Welcome to Fiji
Abig Bula and welcome to Fiji, national sevens head coach 2022 to 2024 Ben Gollings. After touching down at Nadi Airport from Brisbane on Sunday night the former England representative is now on quarantine in Suva.
The gifted former professional rugby player is street smart to have slipped out of the Nadi International Airport arrival lounge on Sunday night with no one except for a lone Fijian who had played with him in the past Coral Coast 7s years ago recognising him.
The power black-out in Nadi on the night was his shield as he strolled alone pushing his luggage trolley out of the international arrival lobby where he applied the first dummy - when he was recognised by a fan; headed straight to the domestic departure gate.
He slipped past and spent the night at the Tanoa Nadi International Hotel.
His second dummy was yesterday when he checked out of the hotel to fly to Nausori. He checked in at the Suva Tanoa Hotel yesterday afternoon.
According to Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer John O’Connor, it is there that Gollings will be on quarantine for three days.
On Thursday this week, hopefully by then the Fiji skies will be clear and we get a glimpse of the man who will coach our Fijian sevens gladiators the next three years.
His major assignments include the HBSC Sevens Series, Birmingham Commonwealth Games on July 28 to August 8 later this year and then the Olympics in 2024.
The Englishman knows how passionate Fijians are with rugby – rugby stops our nation just as the Melbourne Cup stops Australia.
In taking up the job, Gollings knows that the expectation of every Fijian – that is to win every HSBC leg, bring home the gold medal be it South Pacific Games, World Cup, Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.
On the hindsight we must give him our utmost support because it is no easy task to come in and fit into big shoes left behind by fellow Englishman Ben Ryan and Welshman Gareth Baber.
Gollings has been communicating with stand-in sevens and Fijian coach Saiasi Fuli since it was officially released on Christmas Eve that he takes over from where Baber had left.
While Baber in the midst of the global pandemic mentored, psyched and had his men training in their bubble leading up to their back to back Olympic gold medal in Japan, Gollings goes in to the same situation with the third wave of the virus now hitting Fiji.
Last week the Fiji men and Fijiana national sevens sides have been in their training bubble leading up to the two HSBC Sevens events in Spain – the Malaga on January 21-23 and the Seville on January 28-31.
Gollings has played against Fijians, also played alongside them in a span of more than two decades. He knows what to deliver.
He is no stranger among us. Welcome once again Ben Gollings.
karalaini.waqanidrola@fijisun.com.fj