THE hopes of breaking the jinx and winning their first Darwin rugby 7s tournament in Australia was crushed when Daveta rugby 7s team fell short in the final.
They lost to their Fijian counterparts the Stallions rugby sevens team 21-10 in the weekend.
The Nadroga-based side finished on a high note two weeks ago, when they successfully defended the Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby Sevens tournament edging Ponsonby of New Zealand 19-17.
Daveta Rugby for more than 20 years has been touring Australia,Singapore, Malaysia taking part in tournaments and even winning the World Club 7s in Limerick in 2015.
Nadroga team president Tiko Matawalu said Daveta rugby team had set a standard in local and international club games for 7s rugby and they will come into the tournament as a strong contestant.
“They have never won in Darwin however the loss has only boosted their morale and preparation upon their return they will head straight into our 2019 Nadroga Rugby Union Sevens tournament to fight for a spot for McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s 2020,” said Matawalu.
Meanwhile the Nadroga Rugby Union Sevens tournament will be a battle of existence for teams in the Coral Coast Sevens top four positions.
“The tournament is also a qualifying round for the top four teams who get their names automatically drafted into the McDonald’s Coral Coast 7s next year and that makes this tournament exciting and also one of the only events where the giants of local sevens competitions get to go head to head,” said Matawalu.
Big teams such as Westfield, Yamacia, Army Green, Army Red, Uluinakau, and current 2019 7s season tournament winners Daveta, who recently won the SCC 7s 2019 in Singapore, Ratu Filise, who won the Mamaqa 7s in Tavua, Wardens were the winners of Ram Sami 7s last year, are all in the run for the top four qualifying spots for the open men’s to the McDonald’s Coral Coast 7s in its 10th year anniversary tournament in 2020.
Yamacia rugby through founder David Dakuitoga has been a grooming ground for national 7s team in the past and today with the current selection of the three brothers Sevuloni Mocenacagi, Isoa Tabu, and Kaveni Tabu.
Another product of such a process was Olympic gold medallist, “The Beast” — Semi Kunatani, who now plays professional rugby in Europe. Yamacia 7s has won many local tournaments and also has participated in tournaments abroad.
They were a regular participant in the Coral Coast 7s since inception but have somehow lapsed in the last two years but have regrouped this year to reclaim their status back through this qualifying tournament.
The Nadroga Rugby Union sevens tournament will be held on December 4-7 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
