As the HSBC SVNS Series touches down in North America, the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s side is wasting no time acclimatizing to the chilly conditions of Vancouver. Head Coach Osea Kolinisau has reported a positive week of preparation as the team gears up for a blockbuster Sunday of pool play.

Speaking exclusively to the media from Canada, Kolinisau detailed the team’s rigorous schedule since arriving on Saturday.

“Yeah, we arrived on Saturday and it was a bit cold for us. It was nice weather, but it was still a bit cold for us,” Kolinisau admitted with a laugh.

“So we tried to get the boys acclimatized really well. We had a recovery session on Saturday as after we arrived. And Sunday we had a ground session just to get the boys into running and familiarizing them to the weather.”

Kolinisau shared that the week has been busy but productive for the squad.

“Monday, we had a double session, a gym and a game of rugby. Tuesday, we had one session rugby and today we had a session rugby in the morning as well. No injuries, boys are acclimatizing well and looking forward to the weekend,” the coach confirmed.

For the North American double-header in Vancouver and Los Angeles, Kolinisau has opted to bring a slightly larger squad to manage the workload.

“Yeah, we chose to bring 14 players on this leg and after this leg, then one player will return back and 13 will travel to New York. But we just wanted to bring 14 players just in case we have injuries and we wanted to make sure we got that covered. And as well, we’ll see how the game goes this weekend and we might bring in if we needed fresh legs for next week,” he explained.

Currently sitting at the top of the standings, the Fijian side is well aware of the target on their backs. Kolinisau emphasized that maintaining their position requires more than just skill; it demands the right mindset.

“Yeah, it’s not easy being number one. You know, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. Something we’re focusing on a lot is trying to make sure we’re consistent with our attitude as well on what we’ve been doing and make sure we’re pushing the boys hard,” he said.

Fans back home will have a full day of rugby to look forward to this Sunday, 8th March. Both the men’s and women’s teams are in action, with all matches broadcast live on FBC Sports.

Fiji Airways Fijian 7s (Men)

vs France – 7:19 AMvs Argentina – 11:07 AMvs Australia – 2:56 PM

Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s (Women)

vs Australia – 9:31 AMvs USA – 12:57 PMvs Canada – 4:46 PM