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Rugby coaches return to help teams ahead of Carib Sevens

Serevl rugby coaches (from left to right) Evan Haigh, Ben Gollings, William Rasileka and Mat Trouville at the National Sports Centre before last night's training session.(Photo by Glenn Tucker)

Coaches from Serevi Rugby are back in Bermuda this week, helping to prepare the Island’s men’s and women’s teams for the North American Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens Tournament next month.Waisale Serevi and Ben Gollings will also hold training camps for local youth and will visit local schools to introduce youngsters to the game.The three-year, multi-tiered rugby development programme is sponsored by XL Group and conducted by Serevi Rugby and the Bermuda RFU.For Waisale Serevi, this will be his third visit to Bermuda since the programme began in June.Today the coaches will visit Sandys and Whitney Middle Schools and then this evening at the National Sports Centre will conduct a youth camp for under-16s and under 18s, prior to a club sevens tournament from 6.30 to 10pm at the NSC.Tomorrow, further sessions will take place at Police Field, with training for national teams in the morning, a youth camp from 2-4pm and more national team training in the evening.On Sunday, there will be a mini-camp for under-10s and under-14s at the National Sports Centre northern field and then national team training for the men’s and women’s teams in the afternoon.Serevi Rugby is based in Seattle, Washington and is focused on growing the game in North America and beyond.Serevi-led teams captured three straight Melrose Cups at the Hong Kong Sevens from 1990-1992. Serevi went on to lead Fiji to three IRB Sevens Rugby World Cups, taking the championship in 1997 and 2005, and an unprecedented four IRB XVs Rugby World Cups in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005.He was one of the few players to play both fifteens and sevens formats, the former taking him to play for clubs in England, France, and Japan. While he played both formats, sevens rugby fanned his passion for the sport.He said sevens play was a ‘gift’, which he shared with the world until retiring from international play in 2009.In co-founding Serevi Rugby®, he has turned his attention to giving back to the game that he said had “given me so much.”Gollings played over 100 games in the English Premiership for Harlequins, Newcastle and Worcester. He represented England A and also played in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.He was a standout fixture on the Sevens World Series for over a decade, first appearing for the England Sevens team during the 1999-2000 series. He ultimately went on to become the all-time leader in points scored, a position he still holds at 2,652 points. On the way, he led England to the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens title four times, taking home the most valuable player distinction in 2006.One of the highest capped Sevens players of all time, Gollings played in three Commonwealth Games, two World Cups and over 70 IRB tournaments.