Rekindling our 7s fire
FORMER national 7s pivot, Livai Ikanikoda wants to see national coach Ben Gollings and two-time Olympic Games gold medallist Jerry Tuwai set aside their differences and collaborate to ensure the team’s success on the international stage. We have heard so much about what appears to be a falling out of sorts between the two 7s men.
Ikanikoda, who has played under Gollings and with Tuwai believes change has to happen.
In saying that, we can’t get away from the fact that our 7s game is synonymous with electrifying play, breathtaking offloads, and an unmatched flair for the game.
It’s woven into the fabric of our national identity, and is a source of pride, and a beacon of hope for us on the world stage. However, the recent dip in our international victories - the uncharacteristic absence of trophies – concerns die-hard fans.
Lest we forget, times have changed. Our opponents have dissected our game, transformed their own, and learned to counter us. They’ve embraced the offloads and developed their own defensive strategies.
While the Fijian flair remains our core, we must acknowledge the growing importance of other factors.
The modern game demands peak physical fitness. That means optimizing training regimes, nutritional plans, and recovery processes.
We have to consider the fact that teams must now understand game plans, manage the clock, and utilize restarts effectively as part of their games.
Studying our opponents and strategizing accordingly are very important.
The pressure of international competition is great. Building mental resilience, adaptability, and maintaining composure under pressure are critical.
The recent Coral Coast 7s offered a glimpse of hope. The electrifying atmosphere, the passion in the stands, and the flashes of Fijian brilliance on the field were a powerful reminder of the magic this sport holds for our nation.
It’s a reminder that we have what it takes to be world champions. We have what it takes to be the best in the game.
We must refine our game and adapt it to the evolving sevens landscape.
There are a number of factors that stand out for us though. Instincts and flair for starters. Then there is that skill factor that you can’t order off a supermarket shelf.
Reflect on those amazing, breathtaking offloads of former national forward Pio Tuwai. He wasn’t the fastest man on the field, but he could twist everything from his upper torso to his shoulder to send off out-of-this world pushed passes to set up tries, while holding up defenders.
Then how about the over the head and below the leg passes in the 1990 final at the Hong Kong 7s that sent off Tomasi Cama to the try-line against New Zealand? It was rated the best try ever scored in Hong Kong!
Successful former national 7s coach Ben Ryan once spoke about ‘beautiful chaos’.
He spoke about how no one plays 7s rugby like the men from “these isolated Pacific Islands”.Ryan wrote something in his book ‘Sevens heaven’: He spoke about NZ, England, Wales, Ireland, France, Australia and South Africa.”And yet none of them play rugby like the big men from the little Pacific nation, just as no one plays football like the kids from the Brazilian favelas, or no one runs as fast as the boys from Jamaica’s boondocks, and nowhere is the beautiful chaos of Fijian rugby distilled in sweeter form than in its sevens.”
The world awaits the return of the Fijian roar. Let’s make it deafening when we head across to Perth in Australia!