Waisale Serevi appointed head coach of Indian rugby sevens teams
Hall of Famer Waisale Serevi is a five-time Hong Kong Sevens winner and has clinched two silver medals and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
Rugby Sevens
World Rugby Hall of Famer Waisale Serevi has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams by Rugby India on Wednesday.
Renowned as the ‘King of Sevens,’ Fijian Serevi championed the bid for the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympics.
“It is a privilege for us to welcome Waisale Serevi as the head coach of the Indian national sevens teams,” said Rugby India president Rahul Bose.
“The core impetus for all of us at Rugby India is to do better today than we did yesterday. To go one step farther every day in our quest to compete with the world’s best,” Bose added.
The 56-year-old Serevi enjoyed a prolific career in 15-a-side rugby at both club and national levels and is considered one of the greatest rugby sevens players of all time.
Waisale Serevi is a five-time winner of the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens. He has also won two silver medals and a bronze as a player at the Commonwealth Games.
“It is an honour and privilege for me to be part of the rugby family in India, I am grateful… From Japan, England, France and the USA, I have now made my way to India,” said Serevi.
“Fourteen years ago, rugby was relatively unknown in the USA, I’ve done a lot of work there. India today is at a similar crossroads. India and Fiji hold a close relationship. It gives me great pride to be a Fijian coming to India, to help them take rugby to the next level,” he added.
Serevi led Fiji to their maiden World Series title in his first year as a player-coach in 2005-06. Serevi has also coached the Russia rugby sevens teams and his most recent coaching stints were with the Rhinos Rugby USA and Jamaica Sevens teams.