FIJI Airways Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber is keeping selection doors open for players to feature in the 2018/2019 World Rugby Sevens Series.
After the shortfall in the last series, the Commonwealth Games in Australia and the Rugby World Cup Sevens, and the departure overseas of Eroni Sau, Baber is extending his radar towards young players and fresh legs to play in the annual series.
He is eyeing players in the Vodafone Fiji under-20 team which won the World Rugby U20 tournament and the Fiji Airways Drua.
“We have had the U20 competition that went really well and there are players who had played particularly well that I am speaking to,” Baber said during the 2018 Oceania 7s pool draws launch at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva yesterday.
“I am also speaking with the general manager of the Fiji Rugby Union and the academy manager as how and what their development looks like.”
The Fiji Airways Drua side has also caught Baber’s attention after the side’s explosive start in the National Rugby Championship.
“The Fiji Airways Drua is going well at the moment and some players impress there. Hopefully at the end of that, if it’s part of their development to come into sevens then we will be looking into that
“Obviously there is an integration process that you get just pulling a player out and dropping him in alongside players who have been doing it for two or three seasons. It takes a while for them to settle, so we can get the best out of them.”
Baber is expected to attend some local 7s tournament to look for new national potentials.
