Sevens giants

have to qualify

By Andrew Kacimaiwai

THE South Pacific superpowers of the Hong Kong Sevens will have to play each other to qualify for the 1997 World Cup Sevens tournament in Hong Kong. Defending Hong Kong champion Western Samoa and per petual favourite Fiji will both have to qualify, as will the New Zealand All Blacks and giant-killer Tonga.

The comment was made by a director of Rugby World Cup Ltd, Marcel Martin, on a fact finding visit to the British colony in late Novem ber. The only country from the region that qualifies directly is Australia, the beaten finalist from the inaugural Sevens World Cup held in Scotland in April. Official World Sevens cham pion England, Australia and host Hong Kong will be the only teams to qualify directly; England defeated Australia 21-17 in the final of the Sevens World Cup. Martin pointed out that at the April World Cup, 20 teams qualified directly. “Fiji, West ern Samoa and Tonga may end up playing each other it is the same in

other sports.”

The top seeds at the inaugural Sevens World Cup fared very poorly, with England staging an upstart win in a tournament whose three-day format was criticised by commen tators and players. Apart from the three qualifiers, another 21 spots will be up for grabs between 58 teams.

“Qualification will be on a zone basis, which means you might not get the best 24 teams,” Martin admitted.

The Hong Kong Sevens tourna ment has been dominated by Pacific teams for about 10 consecutive years now. Only Tonga has failed to win the tournament. Fiji holds the record with seven wins, including unprecedented consecutive wins in 1990, 1991 and 1992 at the expense of the All Blacks.

Fiji’s sevens maestro Waisale Serevi has been voted Player of the Tourna ment for two years back-to-back.

Samoa won the title for the first time last year year in a 14-12 win against the Fijians. Fiji coach Ratu Kitione Tuibua has slammed a Rugby Football Union decision not to send the national England side to the Hong Kong tourna ment next year. He said England did not deserve its champion status if it was not prepared to defend it.

Martin said a decision would be made next year whether to hold the 1997 World Cup on the traditional March dates of tne Hong Kong Sevens or during October after the territory re verts to British rule. □