The stage is set for an interesting final day of the 43rd Marist 7s rugby tournament in Suva today.
Yesterday, Marist Rugby Club president Lawrence Tikaram welcomed participating teams for this year’s tournament.
“We warmly extended an invitation to all grassroots village clubs and teams to make the journey to the Mecca of all 7s at the ANZ Stadium,” he said.
He reiterated one of the targets of the event.
“The focus is to showcase and highlight their talents for global and local recognition.”
The club, he said, continued to grow because of its people and family spirit.
About 1476 players and officials and 350 volunteers are part of the tournament.
Today will be interesting for many reasons.
Our disappointing effort at the recent USA 7s in Las Vegas and at the Canadian leg of the series, in Vancouver, could offer an opportunity for newcomers to impress the national coach.
Gareth Baber is expected to be at the event today, keeping a lookout for potential talents.
There is no doubt about the impact of the Marist 7s and its place in our colourful history.
This is where it all began for us.
This is where many of our sevens stars got their first feel of top class sevens action.
It has traditionally been a breeding ground for national players who would then make the journey to the mecca of the abbreviated version of the sport in Hong Kong.
That is ultimately the goal for many players and fans.
That is where we are supposed to be champions.
There is a tendency to believe that Hong Kong belongs to us. Such is the tight link we have with the Happy Valley.
For today though, attention will no doubt be focused on how the top sides fare at the national stadium.
While there are bolters for top honours, history will attest to the fact that sevens rugby is different.
It can sometimes be determined by the bounce of the ball.
In the case of Fiji, there is an abundance of flair, pace, aggression and knowledge that is spread out among the many teams participating in the event. It actually makes for an exciting weekend of sevens rugby.
The challenge though will be on Baber to identify men he knows can step up to the national team level, especially in the wake of injuries picked up in Vegas and Vancouver.
He knows how much Hong Kong means to us as a nation. He knows this is the big one annually.
This is where Fijians will throw caution to the wind and give 100 per cent to win the title.
In fact we are chasing our fifth title in a row this year.
That is a huge undertaking.
We wish all the players the very best today at the Marist 7s, and may the best team win.
