Baber hoping Radradra will play for Fiji at the Olympics

FIJIAN Sevens head coach Gareth Baber is set to request rugby superstar Semi Radradra be released from Bristol Bears to play for his country at the Olympics this summer.

The Olympic Games, to be held in Japan, were postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but are now due to run between July 23 and August 8.

In theory, that should cause no problems with Bristol’s season, which is due to conclude on June 26 at the latest when the Gallagher Premiership final is set to be played, barring another break in the season due to coronavirus.

However, speaking to RugbyPass, Baber said he will talk to Bears director of rugby Pat Lam about Bristol’s marquee signing joining up with the Pacific Islanders ahead of the Games with plans to to set-up a bubble in Australia, with New Zealand, Samoa and Australia to provide match and training practice before the teams depart for Tokyo, as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has been suspended.

Baber said: “Semi definitely has an intention and a desire to play in the Olympics and there will be conversations with Semi and Pat.

“The release of a player of that ilk is a big ask, and there are also players in the Top 14 like Vilimoni Botitu and Aminiasi Tuimaba at Castres and Pau, respectively. They are high on my list having just dropped out of sevens to 15s.”

Radradra, pictured, has already represented Fiji in sevens and, in fact, it was playing for his country at the Dubai 7s that he got scouted by NRL side the Parramatta Eels. He has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best rugby union centres in the world and was named captain of his country at the 15-a-side game in the autumn. Fiji are looking to mount a defence of their 2016 Olympic Rugby Sevens crown, having won their first-ever gold medal under the leadership of Ben Ryan.

Baber continued: “Jerry (Tuwai, who was recently named the best 7s player of the decade at the World Rugby awards) will do the Olympics. He feels a responsibility and wants to push himself to win a second gold medal. That is his vision.

“We are working and developing players in Fiji and the issue the new guys have is that they have not played any international rugby sevens while players in Europe have that experience of walking into the cauldron of an Olympics.

“I have been in contact with Semi Kunatani and he had issues with Castres having been dropped for medical reasons. I have spoken to him about if things don’t work out in France then we would look at him being part of the training group. He is a great player.

“It’s a challenge for the boys in Europe to come down and join the squad in Fiji. We have regular contact with those players we have targeted and there is still an intention of a handful of them being part of the training squad.

“I had agreements with some of the clubs to get players released for up to four tournaments last season but that is not going to happen. It’s now about coming to Fiji and what impact the quarantine periods are going to have each time they come which is an added difficulty.

“The big question is going to be how far in advance are we going to get them before the Games and can they stay with us to Tokyo? I was hopeful to see all their club coaches but that is not going to happen, so it is Zoom calls. I’m quite confident that we can get these players to Fiji.”