Rugby great Waisale Serevi returned as ambassador for the 2022 edition of the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens. Photo by Singapore Sports Hub; taken pre-COVID-19 in 2019.
The kick-off whistle was like music to the ears of the tens of thousands of rugby fans gathered at Singapore Sports Hub for the event. The flagship tournament returned on 9 and 10 April after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 and brought together 16 global teams for a weekend of scrums, mauls and lineouts. Its return to the city-state is especially poignant as it marks the 20th year since the first Singapore Sevens was held. The final saw Fiji beating New Zealand 28-17 to clinch the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens. The champion became the first country to win the tournament three times after their victories in 2006 and 2018.
Fiji beat New Zealand to be crowned champion of HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2022.Photo courtesy of HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens.
In the stands was a very famous face: Waisale Serevi, widely acknowledged to be the finest Sevens player of all time. “I am so happy to be back,” he tells Here to Play. “The past two years have been tough for the sport; we haven’t really got together to play. So I’m grateful that we have this opportunity to have the world come together to enjoy Sevens again.” Indeed, Serevi’s presence at the tournament proves just how global the audience was that weekend: the 54-year-old flew nearly 16 hours from Seattle just to be here for the games.
His passion for rugby has driven the native Fijian for some 45 years now. But it may surprise some that his brush with the sport happened by chance in 1977. Although it’s been close to half a century, Serevi still remembers the day vividly. “There I was, washing my school uniform by hand at home, when I heard cheers coming from all the houses around mine.” He later found out that his community had erupted in cheers because of Fiji’s stellar performance against the British Lions in a game of rugby. “I remember thinking, ‘If that game can make my people so happy, then I want to play it.’”
ROCKING THE GAME
And as any Sevens fan would tell you, he did more than just play — Serevi rocked the game, both in its Sevens and Fifteens versions. His accolades include four appearances at the Rugby World Cup Sevens, including the memorable 1997 edition. As captain, he led Fiji to its first-ever World Cup win that year and repeated that feat eight years later. His face lights up as he recalls those days because he knows how hard the team trained to get there. “I always say that there is no good coach or captain. There is only a good team.”
As captain, Serevi also saw himself as a role model and motivator. “Before the 1997 win, we were playing the Hong Kong Sevens and we lost to New Zealand,” he recalls. “Everybody was so disappointed. But I had to pull it together for the team; so I asked myself: ‘Which one is better? To lose here and win next year at the World Cup? Or win here and lose at the World Cup?’” His words struck a chord with his teammates and reinvigorated and inspired, they coasted to victory the next year.
A carnival atmosphere at the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2022. (Masks were removed for photo-taking purpose.) Photo by Singapore Sports Hub.
The experience cemented Serevi’s belief in the importance of good leadership — and explains why he’s so passionate about giving back to the rugby community. “Rugby instils in you core values like sportsmanship, respect and camaraderie. These are the values that have made me who I am today and I want to share that with youths all over the world,” he says, explaining his decision to move to Seattle, the United States in 2010. “They were playing Sevens, sure, but they were no threat to anybody!” he adds with a laugh. Eager to change the lives of disadvantaged youths through rugby, Serevi got to work setting up rugby academies, clinics and comprehensive coaching programmes, helping hundreds of youths realise their sporting potential.
BRINGING IT HOME
His contributions to the sports’ next generation of players continues in his own family. Serevi beams with pride as he tells us that his youngest son, 21-year-old Waisale Pierre, is studying at Nihon University in Japan on a rugby scholarship. And he is just as proud of his two daughters, 27-year-old Una, who serves in the United States Air Force; and Asinate, 26, who is a medical assistant. He adds that he could not have raised his family without his rock, his wife, Karalaini. “Her support allowed me to lead my teams to victory,” he reflects. “Because rugby is not just on the field — it’s also so much about what happens off the field. You need a strong support network to succeed.”
Rugby is a team sport that families can enjoy watching together.(Masks were removed for photo-taking purpose.) Photo by Singapore Sports Hub.
If you’re looking to get into rugby after watching the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2022, Serevi has this advice for you: get fit, eat right and learn the game. “You need a mix of speed, strategy and fitness,” he says, advising rugby enthusiasts to work on all three traits, instead of just one. “It makes you all-rounded and a better player.” Speed is especially important, given that Sevens players need to cover the same pitch size as their Fifteens counterparts in a much quicker time.
As we end our chat, we ask Serevi about the last time he played. He pauses for a moment and stresses that he has hung up his professional boots. “But the itch to play doesn’t go away. Last year, we were in Dubai for the city’s International Veterans 10-A-Side games and our team won,” he shares. “We’re all old friends and we came together to play for fun.” If you ask us, there’s no better reason to get into the game.
Dressing up for the occasion at the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens 2022. (Masks were removed for photo-taking purpose.) Photo by Singapore Sports Hub.
SEVEN FACTS ABOUT THE SEVENS
- The “Sevens” in its name refers to the time allotted to each half of a game and the number of players on each side; a conventional rugby game features 15 players playing 40-minute halves.
- The shorter format applies to its penalties too: a yellow card suspension lasts just two minutes, compared to 10 minutes in a Fifteens game.
- A line out occurs when a ball (or a player with it) goes out of bounds. Think of it as a throw-in in football.
- Sevens is fast gaining popularity and recognition, making its Olympic debut in 2016.
- Fiji has won the gold medal at both Olympics since, marking the Pacific island’s only wins at the Games.
- Singapore first hosted the Singapore Sevens back in 2002.
- Rugby sevens originated in Melrose, Scotland in the 1880s. The Melrose Sevens tournament is still played annually.
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