IT’S been dubbed the mecca of 7s rugby and one of the most highly anticipated tournaments with the largest purse prize in the HSBC Sevens World Series.
The Hong Kong 7s is on and excitement over the past two days will hit a high note today as the best of the best in sevens rugby will compete for top honours in front of a jam-packed stadium housing 120,000 fans and viewers live-streaming from across the globe ? Fiji included.
The finals on day three of competition today will be the highlight of the weekend as hopes run high of a victory for the national team after a tough encounter in Pool C.
The national team kicked off their HK 7s campaign with a win against Japan 36-0 in their opening match before drawing 17-all against Wales in their second game.
Their final pool match against traditional rivals New Zealand was nothing short of a nail-biting encounter but one that decided which team would advance to the next stage of competition ? and in this case, our 7s gladiators came out victors winning against the All Blacks 17-14 to book a quarter-final spot.
Rugby pundits will definitely jot down notes on our 7s team’s strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing areas of improvement in attack and defence.
Whatever the case, national coach Gareth Baber and the team will need the continuous support of the nation ? win or lose ? to improve their overall standing on the HSBC Sevens World Series.
Sevens rugby comes naturally to our Fijian talents and a couple of standout players continue to leave their mark after every tournament.
This time around in Hong Kong, two Fijians ? Jasa Veremalua and New Zealand’s Joe Ravouvou ? have been tagged by World Rugby as key players to look out for during the three-day tournament, alongside South Africa’s Selvyn Davids, Argentina’s Matias Osadczuk, USA’s Mike Te’o and Perry Baker, and England’s Dan Norton.
The Fijian rugby flair and distinctive free-flowing style have left many in awe.
Add their Olympics gold medal win last year and you’re sure to have a team to reckon with if given the right resources, opportunity and support to overcome the challenges of maintaining top form in the HSBC Sevens World Series.
It’s not easy to live up to the expectations of more than 800,000 people especially when it comes to sevens rugby and our 7s gladiators know just how important it is to stay on top of their game.
On a lighter note, many Christians around the country will be celebrating Palm Sunday or Children’s Sunday today in the lead up to Easter next week.
Let us take this time to reflect on the true meaning of Palm Sunday and Easter as we dwell on the Christian messages of hope, sacrifice and forgiveness.