“I’ve implemented bonus points in this sevens tournament, this will be the first sevens tournament that will include bonus points,” he said.
Team captains with R.C Manubhai regional manager Atish Singh (fifth from left) during the launch at the R.C Manubhai branch in Raiwaqa, Suva, on December 12, 2024. Photo: Ioane Asioli
The 31st R.C. Manubhai Nataleira Sevens tournament is set to change the status of grassroots rugby in the country.
This was the message of tournament director Solo Finau’s during yesterday’s official launch at the R.C. Manubhai Suva branch store.
“We need to strategise to bet-ter the way that the players play the game,” the former Fiji Rugby Union senior administrator said. “What we can do is create a tourna-ment, a concept so that the players and coaches can benefit from it in many ways.”
Finau said it would be beneficial to implement new ideas instead of approaching sevens rugby in the same old manner.
“I’ve implemented bonus points in this sevens tournament, this will be the first sevens tournament that will include bonus points,” he said.
“The first bonus point is where a player must score under the post in the try zone (shaded area behind goal posts) but the score needs to be converted in order to get bonus points.”
Finau said the second bonus point is rewarded to the team that is able to score a converted try, converted penalty and drop goal within seven minutes of the match.
“The whole idea is to get the players and the coaches into the frame of mind that there are other ways to get points,” he said. “World Cups have been won by drop goals for countries like South Africa, England and Australia.”
Finau is hopeful that the tournament format will help create a new culture of players for the national sevens team in the future.
“What will happen if every team will want to score under the posts, all the other teams will also lift up their defence to stop them from scoring,” he said.
“What will that do to the game? It will increase the level of competition within each game.”
Finau said the tournament is implemented to impart their format style to teams so that they could practice these formats in other tournament as well.
R.C. Manubhai regional manager Atish Singh said their company is grateful to be associated with Nataleira Sevens.
“The tournament is growing eve-ry year and we’re hoping to get big-ger and better next year,” her said.
The tournament will be at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, from De-cember 19–21.
