HOW did some of the sevens’ players and their families take the news of their selection?
The afternoon of Friday, July 15 was different from the other Fridays since the Fiji sevens rugby teams had been in camp at the Uprising Beach Resort in Pacific Harbour.
As the national women’s assistant coach, Iliesa Tanivula described, it was tense.
Players congregated in rooms and sat waiting to be summoned to receive the news whether they had a ticket — at that stage it didn’t matter whether it was economy or business — to Chile or not.
In the girls’ corner, one player said they were more nervous because some players would not stop walking up and down the footpath.
It was the same at the boys’ corner. There were some who listened to music, there were those who walked the stress off while some sat and told stories but in their minds dreaded the moment their names would be called.
According to the Fijiana team, coaches Chris Cracknell and Tanivula made the announcement long or for some they cut the chase and got to the point.
Cracknell, who can be sarcastic at times was rather shocked when one of the girls tearfully said that if she was not going to make the team she would just go home and get pregnant as she came in to the room.
The player was already on the list so Cracknell replied: “I’m sorry but you would have to wait another four weeks if you want to get pregnant, you are going to Rio.”
The player burst into tears again.
Some players quite confident they were going became very nervous when they saw another player who they thought was going to be selected crying on her way back from Villa 11.
“When we saw her in tears and telling us that she was going home, we got very nervous,” one player said.
One player said she had psyched herself up and was ready if the news was going to be negative for her.
“When I walked in and sat down, Chris started off by talking about my performance during the season and during camp,” she said.
“In my mind, I was thinking — I haven’t made the team. And then he just said, congratulations you have made the team. The only word that registered was ‘congratulations’.”
Another was quite sure she was not going to make it.
“I was not the fittest player but I worked hard to achieve all targets they put up and I guess that is why I got selected, it’s still hard to believe it,” she said.
“I walked in preparing for that news and was smiling. They asked me how I was feeling and I replied I was OK and Chris just said congratulations, you are going to Rio.
“I didn’t know how to react so I just smiled and walked out of the room.”
Timaima Tamoi’s father, Netani Takelo said he was watching the team announcement at the Port Muaiwalu in Suva on his way back from a village meeting.
There are two Timaima’s in the women’s team — Timaima Tamoi otherwise known as Tima Levu because of her height and Timaima Ravisa also known as Tima Lailai.
“Just when they announced Timaima, the reception went bad so I had to call home to confirm whether she had been selected.
“When they told me she was selected, all my tavale I was drinking grog with insisted I take a full bowl of grog from each of them because their niece had been selected.”
Fijiana skipper Ana Maria Roqica’s mother, Makarita was at the Grand Pacific Hotel when her name was announced.
“My phone would not stop ringing and everyone in Nabukavesi, where we live were celebrating,” she said.
Ana Maria’s first cousin, Rusila Nagasau’s parents were in Savusavu where they live when the announcement was made.
“We watched it on television and were very happy when the announcement was made as both the girls were selected,” Rusila’s mother, Vinaisi Roqica said.
Ana Maria and Rusila’s fathers are brothers.
One men’s player was also sure of going but had doubts when he saw another player coming back from the room and letting them.
“When he came out and said he was going home, we asked him why and he said he was not selected,” one player said.
“We got very nervous, I was sure of being selected but had doubts when this player came back.”
One of the players who was dropped said they left the same night in a taxi with some opting to visit Suva’s watering holes.
Cracknell said those who were dropped had taken the news very well with national men’s coach Ben Ryan sharing the same sentiments.
