IT'S official. The finest exponents of sevens rugby — Waisale Serevi and Kiwi Gordon Tietjens — will unite for the first time on Friday at the Uprising International Sevens.
The dream pairing of the finest all-time player and coach in the abbreviated code comes after almost two decades of on-field rivalry between Fiji and New Zealand.
"Serevi is definitely coming," Pravin Chand, Serevi's business partner in Fiji, confirmed this week.
"Gordon Tietjens and Serevi teaming up will refresh old memories, this will be great for the game and for all sevens rugby lovers."
Tournament organisers will reveal more in a press conference later but Times Sport understands that Serevi will feature for the Digicel Text Select team, to be coached by Tietjens.
In another revelation, Serevi has semi-retired from the game to turn to business management in Washington State, USA.
"Serevi is no longer a player or coach. He is now a businessman," Chand, managing director of Fairtrade Auto Limited, said.
Chand, who helped Serevi and family move abroad to team up with other prominent business partners, said finer details of the deal would be released later.
However, Times Sport believes it's a sporting firm headed by the ‘Serevi' branding. Fiji's most famous sporting icon will now only feature in promotional events through his company and business partners that include Chand.
The two-day Uprising meet starts on January 21 at the tfl National Stadium in Suva. Samoa, New Zealand Maori, Fiji and French club, Les Bleu are top seeds.
Samoa is in Pool A with local clubs, Redrock, Nadroga and the Grizzlies from the USA. Les Bleu is in Pool B with Ponsonby from New Zealand, Army and Navy.
The New Zealand Maori, Serevi's Digicel Text-Select team, to be chosen by the public, Samurai from Japan, and Uprising make up Pool C. The Iliesa Tanivula-coached Fiji side will feature against Police, Wardens and New Caledonia in Pool D.
- Fiji Times