Sikeli Basiyalo “didn’t believe” the words coming out of Fijian Drua coach Glen Jackson’s mouth at first. At just 21 years of age, Basiyalo was told that Fiji Sevens great Osea Kolinisau wanted the young prospect to join the squad ahead of the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens.
Basiyalo joined the Fiji team earlier this week, with coach Kolinisau naming the forward in the squad for the next HSBC SVNS Series event. Another young talent, Aisea Nawai, is the other new addition to the squad before the tournament from March 28-30.
As rugby fans worldwide know, it doesn’t get a whole lot bigger or better than the Hong Kong Sevens. Of course, there’s the winner-takes-all World Championship which will be held at Los Angeles’ Dignity Health Sports Park in early May, but this event is unique.
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With so much history and pedigree, the Hong Kong Sevens is a milestone event for any player to be a part of, and for fans it’s an unmissable three-day festival of rugby. This week’s competition will usher in a new era, with Kai Tak Sports Park hosting the tournament for the first time.
Fiji have won the event 19 times dating back to 1977 and with Basiyalo joining the squad from the Drua’s training camp, the traditional sevens heavyweights are searching for that history-making feat of taking out the title once again – their first since 2019.
“Happy to be part of the sevens team – it’s going well. Playing sevens is a whole different challenge, the speed of the game is much higher than what I’m used to,” Basiyalo said in a statement.
“When I was called, I didn’t believe it at first, but I was actually happy and keen. For a long time, I wanted to try and play sevens as well. Glad that I am able to come here and learn a lot of things.
“My goal is to learn everything I can so I can take it back to the Drua and improve my game.”
New Zealand have dominated the event in recent seasons.
With the women’s SVNS Series including a stop in Hong Kong China for the first time in 2023, the Black Ferns Sevens took out that Cup Final with a thrilling 26-17 win over Australia. As the men, Fiji lost that decider 24-19 in a dramatic clash with the All Blacks Sevens.
Fiji have actually lost two of the last three Men’s Cup Finals, including the 2022 event which was won by Australia 20-17. Argentina have placed third on two occasions (2022 and 2023) but they’re chasing this time around as are the Fijians.
As things currently stand, Argentina are first on the overall ladder with 68 league points, while the Spanish are second with 64. Fiji and South Africa are equal third with 62 points. With two more regular season events, the race for the league title is set for a photo finish.
After the Hong Kong Sevens, SVNS Singapore will be held at the national stadium the following week to bring the round-robin to a close. That sets the stage for the aforementioned winner-takes-all event in the City of Angles.
