The Fiji sevens team are chasing consistency in the countdown to next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics.
The 2016 gold medal winners finished third in last season's World Sevens Series, which was cut short because of the global pandemic.
Fiji huddle together during the Los Angeles leg of the World Sevens Series. Photo: Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby
Head coach Gareth Baber admitted they found it tough to live up to the title winning effort last year.
"It's slightly inherent in Fijian culture and certainly the way that we play the game that you're going to get bouts where you don't quite live up to that quality," he said.
"But we pride ourselves on having standards that give us that opportunity game after game to create pressure on opponents and there's a lot of things that go into that."
Gareth Baber. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
With the Olympic sevens competition pushed back until July 2021, the Fiji Rugby Union acted quickly to re-contract their playing squad and Baber himself, whose deals were due to expire at the end of the Tokyo Games.
"It was obvious that all programs were going to have to re-contracting or contracting more players through for another year on a cycle towards an Olympics and we were no different and we've done that," he said.
"We've got players contracted until after the Olympics next year and part of that process then was mapping out what the next 12 months would look like once those dates had changed."
Among the players poised to kick on next year is Napolioni Bolaca, who was one of two Fijian players selected in the Sevens World Series "Dream Team".
Fantastic @fijirugby! The 2020 Mens @Cigna Pressure Play award goes to Napolioni Bolaca after this superb effort against @Blitzboks #HSBC7sAwards pic.twitter.com/dVYeQuh4s4
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) September 22, 2020
The 23 year old finished as the top points scorer on last season's global circuit, capping a rapid rise since his debut appearance at the 2019 Singapore Sevens.
"I think he just epitomises a kid who has shown that talent certainly in tournaments here in Fiji," enthused Gareth Baber of the man he discovered barely two years ago.
"As he's grown up 19/20 he wasn't picked in age group teams. He was playing in sevens tournaments in the west of the country and he got overlooked potentially but as happens here in Fiji tournaments exist, players get exposed and the quality that he's got was what I saw two years ago in a Wadigi tournament up in Nadi."
In only 8 tournaments on the WSS, this kid has won 2 Man of the Final awards,a World SeriesTitle, 2019-20 Series Top Points Scorer, played & scored 6 tries in 4 Grand Finals, Impact player award,Dream Team. Only starting to learn & develop in this environment. Keep chasing Naps pic.twitter.com/0e2vofOc1w
— Naca Cawanibuka (@cawnac_naca) September 22, 2020
Baber is also in regular contact with a small group of European based stars keen to make themselves available for the Olympic campaign.
Flying Fijians internationals Semi Kunatani, Viliame Mata, Leone Nakarawa and Josua Tuisova were all a part of the gold medal winning team four years ago, with Kunatani, Nakarara and Tuisova all featuring at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2018.
Fiji celebrate their Sevens victory at the Rio Olympics. Photo: Photosport
Bristol Bears wrecking ball Semi Radradra was also a part of that squad and Baber said the former rugby league star is among a handful of of foreign-based stars that are desperate to be involved.
"Semi is one of the best professionals I've ever worked with and he was one of the first ones to get onto [strength and conditioning coach] Naca Cawanibuka with getting a training programme, something that he can lean on for the sevens.
"I know he keeps himself in good shape anyway and he's playing some good rugby. There's two or three others that are up in Europe doing something similar and we keen those conversations going, we keep them on board."
Semi Radradra in full flight during the 2018 London Sevens. Photo: Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby
The fate of the 2021 World Sevens Series remains in the balance, with the first four tournaments in Dubai, Cape Town, Sydney and Hamilton already cancelled.
The domestic sevens season is due to kick off soon in Fiji but, in the meantime, the national squad members have been keeping fit by turning out for their provinces in the Skipper Cup.
"I probably wasn't expecting to see players playing domestic fifteen-a-side but I think like in New Zealand and like has happened in Australia it's of benefit to the players," Baber said.
"It helps them to develop, gives them a different stimulus in terms of their learning and their development and I'm pleased with what I've seen in Fiji."
