The Fiji Times

Nadroga conducts U19 trials

COASTAL Rental Nadroga rugby under-19 squad for 2020 had their trials yesterday at the Kalevu ground. As another season of epic rugby competition begins, a total of 100 players turned up for the trials, however only 40 players will be selected to represent the provincial side for the upcoming Skipper Cup season. Union president Tiko...

Sonny Bill Williams to refuse to wear Super League’s Betfred logo due to religious beliefs

Sonny Bill Williams is set to refuse to wear the logo of Super League’s title sponsor Betfred due to his religious beliefs. Toronto Wolfpack’s marquee signing, 34, converted to Islam in 2009 and has often spoken about his devotion to his faith. Several high-profile sports stars have previously taken a similar stance against betting companies...

Still no word on McKee’s replacement

THE Fiji Rugby Union is still to announce the name of the new coach to replace former Flying Fijians coach John McKee after the vacant post was advertised in November last year. The FRU chief executive officer John O’Connor said they won’t release the applicants names because of confidential agreement between the board and the...

Big Fijian support in Hamilton

FIJIANS’ support for the national 7s team this weekend at the New Zealand Sevens at Hamilton is expected to be better and bigger than the past three years. Not only are Fijians living in New Zealand meeting at the FMG Waikato Stadium to back the Gareth Baber-coached Fijians, the atmosphere is expected to have some...

Fiji 7s rectifies weaknesses

WHILE Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber has kept his run on team for this weekend’s New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton close to his chest and indications are that he could fire back with the composition of line-up from the Dubai and South Africa Sevens. The injury-free national side had another training session at Elliot Park...

Fijiana 7s team inspires kids

MEMBERS of the Fijiana 7s team inspired students, from five years old to 13 of TeTotara Primary School Hamilton, NZ, in their day off program today. Students asked questions about Fiji and the players also spoke about rugby and its benefits. Members of the Canada women’s team were also part of the program.

Fuli’s angels set Hamilton mission

FIJIANA 7s coach Saiasi Fuli believes a dose of energy, concentration and the eagerness to win will avoid his players from slumber in this weekend’s New Zealand Sevens at Hamilton. Fuli said whichever team would fall asleep during a game would be victim to the new rules of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The...

Fijiana to fight for semi-final spot, says captain

FIJIANA 7s team captain Raijieli Daveua has assured Fijian fans that her team will fight tooth and nail at the NZ Sevens in Hamilton. She said mistakes had been ironed out in the training session today and tomorrow and would polish all moves on Friday before the tournament on Friday. Fijiana 7s is pooled against...

Baber means business

FIJI 7s coach Gareth Baber is hurt. And he’s serious in avenging the loss in Dubai and South Africa in the start of the World Rugby Sevens Series. He said there would not be a lot of change in his line up this weekend but he will put the best Fiji can deliver in the...

Do or die at Hamilton 7s for Fijiana side

FIJIANA 7s coach Saiasi Fuli is a restless man this weekend. He knows that one mistake by his team in the Hamilton 7s in New Zealand will kick them out from the title run in the first tournament of the Oceania leg of the 2019-2020 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series. The former national halfback’s...

Baber warns his players

THE Fiji 7s players have been warned of the distractions they will come across during the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series tournament in Hamilton this weekend. With Fiji aiming for a hat trick of titles in Hamilton, the side is expected to draw a big following with the large fan base in New Zealand. Former...

Fuli: Team must adapt to changes

FIJI has to adapt and accept the new rules being implemented by World Rugby in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Fijiana 7s coach and former national halfback Saiasi Fuli made the comment while leading his team for the first time at the Hamilton 7s in New Zealand this weekend. The weekend will also be...

Te Nana predicts a Fijian comeback

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series commentator Karl Te Nana predicts a Fiji and Kiwi final at the Hamilton 7s tournament in New Zealand this weekend. In an interview with this newspaper at the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast tournament at Lawaqa Park last week, the former New Zealand rugby 7s captain has a good feeling that...

Cherry’s return a boost for Aussie women’s Sevens

AUSTRALIA’S women’s sevens team have been bolstered by the return of Emilee Cherry after a two-year absence. She will be in the side for Hamilton’s leg of the HSBC World Series at the weekend after injuries and a pregnancy kept her out of the game. While Sevens management staff took a cautious approach over her...

Fijiana leaves for Hamilton

THE Fijiana 7s team jetted out of the country this morning determined to make an impact at the New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton this weekend. Coach Saiasi Fuli has issued the tall order that Fiji has to win all its pool games to qualify for the semi-finals. Fuli and team skipper Raijieli Daveua said every...

New format worries Fijian 7s coach

FIJI 7s coach Gareth Baber says the new format to do away with the quarter-finals for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments in Hamilton and Sydney will affect all participating teams. The quarter-finals for the second leg of the series have been axed by World Rugby to allow the women’s competition to run alongside...

Fiji 7s team sets target

THE Fiji 7s team is committed to getting better in the 2019-2020 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. After a slow in the first leg in Dubai and Cape Town, Fiji, the defending champion is placed in sixth position with 24 points behind Argentina (24 points), England (24 points), France (29 points) and joint leaders South...

Baber’s men to face Spain in scrimmage session

THE Fiji 7s team will play Spain in a scrimmaging session today as part of the final phase of preparations for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Hamilton this weekend. According to Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber, Spain play a structured game similar to that they will face against their opponents in pool play....

Vázquez hopes to promote change through sport

WORLD Rugby Women’s Executive Leadership Scholarship recipient Fernanda Vázquez discusses her life in rugby and how her love affair with the game began. Mexico is a country with a rich history, and since the time of the Aztecs it is one in which entertainment has come in the form of sport. One of those ancient...

Dom du Toit: Intense but exciting times as we enter Olympic year

IN her latest exclusive column, Australia star Dom du Toit is excited by her return to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series after almost a year out and the fact that 2020 is Olympic year. What a ‘rippa’ of a back-to-back tournament! I wasn’t there but all reports from the team are that Cape Town...

Pools and schedule announced for inaugural World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series tournament

THE inaugural tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series will take place in Viña del Mar, Chile on 15-16 February with the match schedule and pools revealed today. The match schedule and pools have today been revealed for the inaugural men’s tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, which will take place in...

Fiji 7s team departs for New Zealand

THE Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team departed for New Zealand this morning confident of bouncing back in the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series Hamilton 7s which kicks off this weekend. The Gareth Baber coached team made a slow start in the 2019-2020 series finishing ninth in Dubai and lost in the bronze final to France...

Coral Coast event unearths rugby talent

CORAL Coast sevens tournament major sponsor McDonald’s Fiji has praised the organisers of the annual event in helping improve 7s rugby in Fiji. McDonald’s Fiji managing director Marc McElrath said the annual tournament continued to unearth raw Fijian 7s talents. The four-day tournament at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka, ended on Saturday. Police team from Suva...

McElrath commends event

CORAL Coast sevens tournament major sponsor McDonald’s Fiji has praised the success of the annual event in helping improve Fiji 7s rugby. McDonald’s Fiji managing director Marc McElrath dubbed the final on Saturday at Lawaqa Park as a match between David and Goliath after Police edged Ratu Filise 17-14. He said it was a final...

Premiership Rugby confirm Saracens relegation for salary cap breaches

(Reuters) – Saracens are to be relegated from English rugby’s top division at the end of the season for breaching salary cap rules, Premiership Rugby announced on Saturday. Saracens, who had already accepted an initial 35-point deduction, are bottom of the 12-team Premiership table with -7 points despite winning six of their eight games and...

2020 Coral Coast 7s: Tokyo Olympics still very much Tamani’s priority

TABADAMU captain Terio Tamani led his gallant warriors to a battlefield semi-final against Police but went down fighting 14-12. However, his goal of making the Olympics team is still his priority. The Fiji 7s team playmaker has led his Tabadamu brothers to five Marist 7s tournaments and the Tabadamu sevens last week plus many more...

2020 Coral Coast 7s: Te Nana notes high number of yellow cards

HSBC World Sevens Series commentator Karl Te Nana yesterday highlighted the high number of yellow cards that resulted from the high tackles committed in the past four days of the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast Sevens tournament in Sigatoka. The former New Zealand rugby sevens team captain said the new laws from World Rugby would take...

Volivoli focuses on target

FIJI 7s extended squad member Suli Volivoli was dropped from the main team for the Hamilton and Sydney 7s tournament. But the hardworking player says he will never give up because he wants to impress the selectors and show his capabilities and the advantages he can bring to the team. Volivoli was released from the...

Daugunu scores 5

FILIPO Daugunu showed why the Queensland Reds resigned him. The former Fiji Football Association player scored five tries yesterday but was spoiled by a red card for a dangerous tackle in a Super Rugby trial mismatch against the Melbourne Rebels. Rugby.com.au reported the Reds beat the understrength Rebels 57-5 in Gladstone on Friday, with winger...

Rugby

Springbok 7s captain rates Fiji highly