Fiji 7s kingpin Jerry Tuwai says the bond between players was a key element in winning the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa.
The Fiji Airways Fiji 7s side won its third Rugby World Cup Sevens title on Monday after beating New Zealand 29-12 in the final in Cape Town Double Olympic Games gold medalist Jerry Tuwai said it had been a tough year for the side but the players had each other’s backs whenever needed.
“Just some things that bind us together were how we fight for each other, that is something which got us through.
“I’m really blessed that we have a group of rugby family that takes care of one another and a group of boys that work really hard for each other on the field,” Tuwai said.
Tuwai added that it was a great feeling to win the world cup for the nation after nearly two decades.
“It has been a long wait for the nation and it took this group of people to achieve this feat.
“The only thing I told them was to keep fighting.
“Even if the opponents score first, let’s just keep fighting and push them to the wire and that’s what the boys did,” Tuwai added.
The Fiji 7s side defeated Wales 29-5 in its first match, booking a place in the quarter-finals against Samoa to edge them out 21-10 in a tough clash.
The national side then marched on to meet Australia in the semi-final and demolished all hopes for the Aussies by winning 38-14.
Fiji and Australia were crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 winners in the men’s and women’s events respectively as they both defeated reigning champions New Zealand in two exhilarating finals in Cape Town.
