Carlton-Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens 2009:

Fiji favourites to win international title

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

The star studded Fiji national team which includes the best player in sevens rugby in the world, William Ryder will go out favourites to win the international tournament of the Carlton-Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens 2009 which kicks off at the Sugathadasa Stadium on November 27. The tournament is organised by the Tharunyata Hetak Organization in collaboration with the Interim Committee of the SLRFU.

Besides the dynamic Ryder, the Fijians will have the services of Pio Tuwei, Jery Burotu, Setefalo Cakcu, Lepani Ndbuliwaqa, Osea Kolinsau all of whom played a key role in helping Fiji to maintain its supremacy in Sevens Rugby by clinching the Hong Kong Sevens title for a record 10th time in March this year.

Coach Iliesa Tanivula said that the Fijians are in peak form, having played in the Fijian Rugby Sevens before coming to Sri Lanka and are confident of bagging the International Sevens title of the Carlton-Sri Lanka Rugby Sevens. Iliesa, a Fijian who was domiciled in New Zealand has the honour of playing for the All Blacks national sevens team.

Fiji will face a strong challenge from Papua New Guinea who too will field their national team.

“We will miss the services of four players due to injury but we will be a force to be reckoned with, said the manager of the Papua New Guinea team Malcolm Giheno.

He said that Benjamin John, Seva Milfred, Kojo Ware and Lawrence Kuso were the top players in his team who are bound to impress at the tournament.

Malcolm said that after Fijian legend Waisale Serevi took over as coach he was able to mould the PNG team into a formidable outfit.

The Papua New Guineans will take part in the Wellington and Adelaide Sevens of the IRB series after the Colombo tournament.

The manager of the Australian Legends team Wayne Hanson said that his team had the services of four top national players in skipper Will Brock, Pat Dellit, Tim Cornforth and Brent Hamlin and should be a strong contender for the title.

He said that all the other players are staking claims for places in the Australian National Sevens team and have played premier grade rugby in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane and the team emerged Plate champions of the Gold Cost Invitation Sevens a few days ago under the guidance of their coach Chris Roche, a former Australian Sevens player.

The New Zealand legends will have in their ranks two outstanding national players in Tairoa Tutu and Jack Ryder but will also have the services of several outstanding players who are on the verge of being selected for the National Sevens team.

South African Vipers and Western Samoa Barbarians are the other two teams who will vie for honours in the six-nation exhibition tournament which would give Sri Lankan rugby fans the rare opportunity of seeing world rugby sevens stars in action.