“YOU train as you play.”
These were the words of Fiji Airways Fiji men’s 7s player Vuiviwa Naduvalo as he received the award for Player of the Match award following Fiji’s title win at the Singapore 7s.
Naduvalo scored twice in the match, helping the team to a 21-12 win over Kenya which played their first cup final in the HSBC SVNS series since 2018.
“Like the saying goes, you train as you play. What you do in training, you will 100 per cent execute that on the playing field,” Naduvalo shared in a post-match interview with World Rugby SVNS.
Teammate Tira Welagi credited their Kenyan opponents for the formidable force shown during the match.
“The Kenyan team was coming very hard, they are a good side and very physical. It was so tough,” Welagi told World Rugby.
Naduvalo scored both his tries in the second half.
Rauto Vakadranu added the final try with two minutes left to play.
All conversions made by Sakiusa Siqila, Filipe Sauturaga, and Manueli Maisamoa were successfully placed.
Their most recent win since the Dubai 7s last December, Naduvalo credited divine guidance as a key factor in their victory.
“First of all, I’d like to thank the Lord Almighty for giving us the strength and power and giving us the win,” he said.
“We return the glory back to Him and to Him alone, and thanks to my teammates for giving 100 per cent effort and the energy they put on the field.”
“We end up with the win.”
Standing at 5 feet 9 inches and weighing 78kg, Naduvalo is no stranger to national representation having donned the national jumper during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.
He claimed a silver medal in Birmingham and gold in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, former All Blacks first five-eighth Dan Carter presented Naduvalo the award.
