FIJI Rugby Union acting chief executive Koli Sewabu says the Fiji Airways Fiji men’s 7s campaign at the HSBC Dubai 7s, which starts tomorrow, will be an exciting spectacle to witness.
With Fiji being defending champions at the series’ first stop, the stakes are high and Sewabu acknowledges it.
“Every game is like a final so looking forward to what we’ll showcase on the field this coming weekend,” Sewabu said.
He said the Osea Kolinisau-coached side has prepared well and emphasised how the series, evolving to its current state, has made way for rigid competition.
“It’ll be exciting to see what will come out this weekend because it’s not like the previous series. It’s a do-or-die.”
As the national 7s side has prepared itself to meet foes past and present, only this time with higher stakes due to the removal of the quarter-finals, Sewabu shed light on how coaching frameworks being implemented here have also played a crucial role.
“I think a lot of work has been put behind the scenes over the last couple of weeks, especially with the coaches, in the high performance space (and) our local coaches,” Sewabu highlighted.
“I know there’s a coach development framework we’re working on and we’ve got the assistance of World Rugby and Rugby Australia for that.”
Meanwhile, the Fiji men’s 7s team face Argentina in their first match at 9.10pm tomorrow.
The side then takes on South Africa at 12.16am on Sunday before facing France at 4.12am.
Meanwhile, the Fijiana 7s open its campaign against USA at 7.20pm tomorrow.
They then face France at 9.59pm tomorrow before playing New Zealand at 1.27am on Sunday. The semi-finals and finals will be played on Sunday evening and Monday morning respectively.
