The Fiji Airways Fijiana players have been told to freely express themselves at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

Fijiana 7s head coach Richard Walker highlighted this as he prepares for his first national assignment this weekend. He said there was no other team in the world that has that Fijian flair in playing rugby.

The former US women’s sevens coach is not a stranger to Fiji rugby. He said Fijian players were passionate.

“I’m just embracing that and trying to bring more out of more girls in these tournament and that’s a big reason why I applied for the job,” he said.

“I want to get the best out of each player and help them grow individually to be the best person of themselves and having fun doing it and this is the environment they want to be in and want to be around.”

Walker has coached a lot of different teams during the Coral Coast 7s and witnessed the Fijian style of rugby.

He has also been part of the All Blacks 15s environment where he watched the Flying Fijians.

“I was at the game in San Diego, I have been over to watch the Drua men and women a few times so I’ve been around Fiji rugby a lot over the year.”

He indicated he has a huge task ahead with the Fijian women in Hong Kong after they were runners- up in Vancouver, four days before his appointment.

The Fijiana side lost to New Zealand, 7-41, in the Cup final at BC Place.

Walker indicated that former interim coach Timoci Volavola is still assisting the side.

The Fijiana is in Pool B with Ireland, France and Great Britain.

“What I want them to take away is to have confident they would and make it to their final,” he said.

“What we’ve been working on is our connection on defence and making sure that we really secure the ruck. We’re keen to move too quickly and try and get a bit defence on the outsides, so sometimes we get caught around the ruck area.”

Walker said they have to be more direct on the attacking side so they can have the freedom to throw the ball around.

“Sometimes we going sideways a lot more in throwing the ball around, so the defence is just really coming up and suffocating us,” he said.

“So if we have to go forward first we should commit defenders, and then we can go wide and play Fiji’s style of rugby.”

He added when they run out at the new stadium the players should have the same feeling they had when they first don the white jumper and who they did it for.

“If we do that, I think we’ll get the best out of the players and for me as a coach.”

Feedback: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj