Hotel team set for battle

OUTRIGGER Fiji Beach Resort rugby 7s club will use the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s as a preparation platform for grooming local talented players to become independent individuals on and off the field.

The resort based side represents a renowned club in a renowned tournament but the initiative driven by the coaches to the players is more than just becoming a better rugby player.

Team head coach Koroi Suguta highlighted the importance of giving back to the community and one way is through sports and preparing for the Coral Coast event next week.

“Our team is formed with a combination of some hotel staff, some Nadroga reps and interested individuals who believe they have the capability of participating in the sport,” he said.

“Some of our players are unemployed and live in nearby villages and settlements so we invite them and some join through their own interests but we will try and give jobs to the unemployed looking at their resumes and jobs that fit them in the resort,” said Suguta.

All teams participating in the Coral Coast 7s tournament are going for a win but Outrigger prefers equal opportunities for offering jobs to the unemployed members of the team and working as a team to become a better team especially entering the tournament as underdogs.

“This way we can give back to the villages and at the same time form a formidable side that could create upsets and our participation gives exposure to our players for bigger clubs to offer them contracts and this has happened in the past to some of our players who were then recruited by the Wardens and Police teams,” he said.

Outrigger is in Pool A, against defending champion Police, Mango Bay Ratu Filise and Sigatoka River Safari Henibua.

The Coral Coast tournament will be held from January 15-18 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.