FIJI Airways Fiji men’s 7s head coach Ben Gollings has set his eyes on winning the HSBC Perth 7s tournament in Australia later this month.
The Englishman said winning the first tournament of the season was vital for his side as they slowly build towards the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris later this year.
“This is a very important year for us, so we want to get it started on a high,” he said.
“Winning the first tournament of the season, which is the Perth 7s, is our next task and the boys are looking forward to competing.”
The side will be looking to defend the gold medal at the Paris Games in July, which Gollings says will not be an easy task.
“We know it will not be easy as we go through the season toward the Olympics as all the teams out there will be looking to beat Fiji.”
Meanwhile, the side is also preparing for the McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast 7s in Sigatoka next week, where Gollings will be looking to put his players to the test.
“For the tournament, we aim to test our players and gauge their performance against our local teams. Especially for the new and younger players in the side, the tournament will be an opportunity for them to prove themselves before we head for our first international 7s tournament for the year in Australia.”
Despite not winning a single on the HSBC Sevens Series last year, Gollings believes this has been a stepping stone for the national side in preparation for the Olympic Games.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we can’t be winning tournaments and games all the time. Sometimes we have to go through the valleys and dark times so that we can work on ourselves and stay focused on our goal.”
The Perth 7s will be held from January 26-28
