Excitement is high as fans wait for the naming of the men’s 7s coach. When Ben Ryan indicated that he was going to step down after the success at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Naca Cawanibuka took the team to the first leg of the HSBC WRSS in Dubai and South Africa, after which Gareth Baber was appointed.
Gareth did not have the perfect start to his industrious career as Fiji 7s men’s team coach, having only won the Hong Kong 7s in 2017, defeating South Africa 22-0.
However, Gareth made amends the following year (2017-18) by winning five tournaments and finishing second behind the Blitzboks.
He repeated that feat the upcoming year (2018-19) by winning five tournaments back-to-back and winning the overall title.
Although Gareth failed to win the RWC 7s (going down to the All Blacks 17-22 in the semis) and the Commonwealth Games 7s (going down to the All Blacks in the final 0-14), he won hearts as he guided the national 7s team to win back-to-back gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
There were rumors that he would continue, but then Gareth was roped in by Scottish side Edinburgh to be part of their coaching panel.
Hence, Gareth’s departure has created a huge vacuum which has to be filled by a competent and effective coach who will take us to the RWC 7s tournament in Cape Town and to the Commonwealth Games 7s competition in Manchester, England.
The appointee will oversee the team’s performance on the HSBC WRSS circuit and the 2024 Olympic Games.
Saiasi Fuli, who coaches the Fijiana, was at the helm of the men’s 7s team in Dubai where our boys finished fourth and ninth respectively over a two-week period.
With Wikipedia’s help and information provided on the World Rugby website, let’s look at our three personalities, with the exception of Saiasi Fuli, who could be entrusted with the job of coaching the men’s national 7s team.
Osea Kolinisau
Osea Kolinisau attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, where he started playing rugby.
He went on to play club rugby for Covenant Brothers Rugby Club and in the 2012 Coral Coast Sevens tournament for the Serevi Selects.
Kolinisau debuted for Fiji in the 2008 Dubai 7s tournament. After a stint playing 15-a-side rugby during the 2010/11 season for French club Agen in the French Top 14, he captained the first Fiji side to win the Dubai 7s in 2013.
Osea is an icon of Fijian rugby, having led the 7s team to Olympic glory in Rio in 2016 as well as back-to-back HSBC WRSS titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Kolinisau carried Fiji’s flag at the opening ceremony in Rio and scored the first of his team’s seven tries in the final as they defeated Great Britain 43-7 to win the gold medal – Fiji’s first Olympic medal.
Later that year, he was nominated for the World Rugby Men’s 7s Player of the Year award only to miss out to South Africa’s pace-man Seabelo Senatla.
The glue that knit the Fiji team together, Kolinisau captained Fiji from 2013-17.
In addition to being an inspirational leader, Kolinisau was both a dangerous player in his own right and also very durable. He appeared in a record 62 events for Fiji on the World Series and his tally of 1272 points is only bettered by fellow World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Waisale Serevi.
One of his best performances came in the final of the Hong Kong 7s in 2013, where he stepped off the bench to score a hat-trick of tries and help Fiji secure a famous comeback win against Wales.
Kolinisau retired from top level 7s in May 2017 before trying his hand at 15s in the USA, initially with Houston Sabercats and then for Old Glory DC.
After the Olympics, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Fiji, which is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole.
Osea has a wealth of experience playing on the circuit and was coached by Ben Ryan, who is expected to guide him if he is appointed coach.
He might not have a distinguished coaching career, but he has learnt a lot from former coach Ben Ryan, who gifted Fiji back to back WRSS overall titles and gold medal at the Olympic Games.
Ben Gollings
Ben Gollings is an English former rugby union player who currently works as a rugby coach. Gollings is best known for his time with the England national rugby 7s team. Gollings was a regular and vital part of the England 7s set-up.
He was the leading scorer three times on the IRB WRSS – 343 points in 2005-06, 260 points in 2008-09, and 332 points in 2009-10. His accomplishments include several records in the IRB WRSS. Gollings became the first rugby sevens player to score over 2000 points in his career during 2009.
Gollings finished his career with 2652 points. On June 21, 2011 it was announced that Gollings’ contract would not be renewed, ending his international sevens career after 70 tournaments. As far as 15s is concerned, Gollings played for Bournemouth, Gloucester, Bath Development (U19), Harlequins, Newcastle Falcons, Worcester, Doncaster Knights and Sunnybank.
At Newcastle he was a replacement as they won the 2004 Anglo-Welsh Cup final. From June 2007, Gollings joined Toyota Shokki Rugby.
In late 2012 Gollings took up a 7s coaching role in Sri Lanka. He relocated to Seattle in the US.
Waisale Serevi
Waisale Serevi is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
He has had an industrious career for Fiji both as a player and coach. Serevi is renowned for his achievements in rugby sevens, while also enjoying a long career in 15s at both club and national team levels. Nicknamed ‘The Wizard’ by commentators, he is widely considered to be the greatest rugby 7s player in the history of the game.
His representative 7s career started in 1989 when he played for Fiji at the Hong Kong 7s tournament. Serevi also played in the 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 RWC 7s tournaments, winning the Melrose Cup in 1997 and 2005.
He won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and captured bronze in 2006. Serevi played in the IRB WRSS since its creation in 1999.
In 2005, after winning the 2005 RWC 7s tournament, Serevi was appointed player-coach of the national team.
He led Fiji to the 2005-06 WRSS victory – the first time the series was won by a team other than the All Blacks 7s. Serevi was inducted into the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee’s Hall of Fame in 2005 and was named The Fiji Times 2005 Personality of the Year.
In 2013, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame – the first Fijian to receive the honour. His presentation took place at the Hong Kong 7s tournament that year.
As a player, the maestro won international 7s tournaments for the national 7s team in Adelaide, Argentina, France, Brisbane, China, Chile, Dubai, Edinburgh, Japan, South Africa, London, Wellington, USA, Singapore and Paris.
He also won the Fiji International 7s tournament in 1998 and 1999. Serevi won the Hong Kong 7s from 1990-92 and from 1997-99.
He was awarded the Player of the Tournament in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1998. Before the RWC 7s tournament in 1997, Serevi made a promise to Fiji to “bring back the Melrose Cup” and in his first three games, Serevi scored 59 points to help confirm Fiji as favourites for the title.
For the entire 2005-06 IRB WRSS Serevi was Fiji’s player-coach (his assistant coach was Jo Savou).
Fiji won the George, Wellington, Singapore, and London legs. The team made the final of the Dubai, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong legs.
During the 2006-07 series, Fiji lost in the Wellington and HK 7s finals to Samoa, and finished second behind the All Blacks 7s.
In 2008, FRU announced the return of Serevi as Fiji’s coach for the 2008-09 series and the RWC 7s in Dubai, and despite his return, Serevi’s team did not do well in the first two legs, losing to South Africa in consecutive semi-finals.
Serevi would be one of the favourites to take over the position of 7s coach of the men’s team, having an incredible record, but only time would tell if his CV (as a player and coach) would have impressed those at Rugby House.
- RAJNESH LINGAM is a contributor to this newspaper. The views expressed are his and not necessarily of this newspaper or his employer.
