7s two objectives
Epeli Rabua, Tamavua
The Vodafone Fijian 7s, first of two objectives for 2016 has been achieved.
The Vodafone Fijians in their God fearing splendor have once again captured the World Sevens Series with back-to-back titles.
And it is now official, the Fijian 7s team are the team to beat at the Olympic Games in Rio come August.
With the first objective for 2016 already achieved on the first day of the competition in London, the sports commentators after getting over the Jarryd Hayne saga, who by the way showed glimpses of his greatness and proved he could play 7s rugby at its highest level; were just amazed at the discipline shown by the Fijian boys.
The team no longer showed stress nor were ever flustered. Every game and I mean every game we played was ours to lose.
The loss to Kenya in the Singapore, the loss to Samoa in Paris, the loss to England in the first game, the loss to South Africa in the semis and USA in the 3rd/4th play-off games, were gifts afforded to these teams for playing smart rugby.
Now the onus is on our coach Ben Ryan to select a core 7s team that will continue to play stress and fluster free rugby for two days in Rio.
As a one-off tournament, the players should be bigger, faster and stronger to maintain the discipline shown, are knowledgeable about the rules of the game, have the stamina to play strong error-free rugby on the first day and stronger still on the second, without ever losing any games!
We have done this at the Hong Kong 7s, years before. Given the eight/nine weeks we have left before the Olympics, we already have such a team.
Ryan just has to select our Dream Team and allow them to gel and achieve the second objective he has given them.
To win the inaugural Olympic 7s crown and in turn, reap the gold medals they so deserve, in doing so.
Toso Viti – We Believe We Will Win!!!
7s Surprises
Floyd Robinson, Nasinu
In terms of sevens rugby, are we in for some big surprises come the Rio Games?
Come to think of it, Kenya, Samoa and Scotland won the three most recent tournaments. Scotland has taken the game of sevens rugby to another level.
There is no way one can say that their win was a fluke. Meanwhile, it’s a huge achievement for Vodafone Fijian 7s coach Ben Ryan and the team winning their first World Rugby Sevens Series back to back.
Beyond that, it will be a nightmare for Ryan when it comes to the selection of players for Rio. Individuals such as Waisea Nayacalevu, Viliame Mata and Masivesi Dakuwaqa have definitely put on outstanding performances adding pressure to the selection process.
Recruiting players
Sukha Singh , Labasa
Once upon a time my soccer coach recruited 20 extra players. I asked him if he was going to make two teams. He said no.
I asked him why all these extra for players!
He said I brought them in our team so they can’t play for any other team. May be that is why they let Jarryd Hayne play for Vodafone Fijian 7s team.
Data Bureau blunder
Ravulolo Tuikubulau, Lautoka
I read with great interest the exchange for words between the Minister of Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and the chairman of the Data Bureau Kevin McCarthy.
It seems that the bureau people cannot still swallow the Minister’s decision to shut them down for stopping people from further credit facilities by passing personal finance information around their network of companies.
The only unfair treatment the bureau was penalising innocent customers with was listing their names in their history books although the debt had been paid off. Why cry over spilt milk?
The list of complaints lodged with consumer council was by those who wanted to or could afford to do it.
The rest of us are just silent victims of these smart business-minded people who make money out of selling information.
Probably they can wait for the next election for the next Minister for Finance to do something and in the meantime a lot of people are happy about the closure of the data bureau’s office.
‘Gone Marama Bale’
Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi
According to Jese Sikivou, Ro Teimumu Kepa is referred to as “Na Gone Marama Bale [GMB] na Roko Tui Dreketi” as reported in the FS May 20 on front page.
In our iTaukei tradition, custom and culture it is a well known fact that as our future chiefs are born into their individual chiefly households one is addressed “Na Gone Marama or Turaga Vakatubu mai Vale Levu”or “Na Gone Turaga Lailai mai Navatulevu” or “Na Gone Marama Lailai mai Lalagavesi”, but as they age in life or once they are traditionally installed to their respective chiefly titles by their King Makers it changes from the use of “Na Gone” meaning a child to “Na Turaga Bale na Tui Bua” or “Na Turaga Bale na TuiNayau” or “Na Marama Bale na Tui Ba” .
The application of the word “Na Gone” or child is now removed signifying they have come of age and have respectfully matured in ascending to their new chiefly role thus the direct referral to their gender and label “Na Marama Bale” or “Na Turaga Bale”.
They are very well respected and held with high esteem by their subjects depicting their Vanua status in her or his rank as they serve out their time, but I personally believe the 70-year-old paramount chief of the Burebasaga Confederacy should appropriately and fittingly be addressed as Na Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi.
My tauvu from Lomanikoro, Rewa have long gone past her Na Gone days but it is very sad that her traditional spokesperson Sikivou and the self exiled Asenaca Caucau cannot identify with that accordingly.
So sad, and so wrong.
Ro Teimumu in the US
Amenatave Yaconisau, Delainavesi
Why does this newspaper make an issue about Ro Teimumu Kepa’s trip to the indigenous conference in the USA?
It’s as if there has been a grave violation of ceremonial law of the vanua by having no one waiting for her at the airport.
As if someone has tampered with tradition.
These are the stories of local politics, people who promote conservativeness, when in fact it’s only a small issue and your article seem to paint a big picture about it.
Definitely there are differences of opinion within the Fiji Indigenous Peoples Foundation (FIPF) and Fiji Native Tribal Congress (FNTC) on how to do things.
Of course people do not think alike although they may agree on the policy platforms of the party.
But I hope the differences are not too deep to be the cause of new parties.
That will be the last thing we want if the differences are more important than the stability of the nation.
The party cannot be above the country to divide it.
Every government needs a loyal opposition not a divided one.