Sports news | Hall of Famer Waisale Serevi appointed head coach of India’s men’s and women’s rugby 7s teams

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) World Rugby Hall Famer Waisale Serevi, widely regarded as the greatest rugby sevens player of all time, has been appointed head coach of the Indian men’s and women’s teams.

The Fijian also enjoyed a long career in rugby with 15 players at both club and national level.

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Known worldwide as the ‘King of Sevens’, he was also an advisor to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on behalf of World Rugby on the inclusion of Rugby Sevens in the Olympic Games.

“The key driver for all of us at Rugby India is to do better today than we did yesterday. Going one step further every day in our quest to compete with the best in the world,” said Rahul Bose, President of Rugby India.

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“…it is a privilege for us to welcome Waisale Serevi as head coach of the Indian National Sevens teams. We wish him the best and are excited to watch him shape the future of Indian rugby,” he added to.

A five-time winner of the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens, Serevi guided Fiji to their first World Series title in his first year as player-coach in 2005-06.

His most recent stints in coaching were with the Rhinos Rugby USA, the Jamaica Sevens team and the Russia Sevens team.

“It is an honor and a privilege for me to be part of the Rugby family in India. I am grateful and I thank God for the opportunity. From Japan, England, France and the USA I am now on my way to India .” Serevi said.

“Fourteen years ago, Rugby was relatively unknown in the US, I did a lot of work there. Today, India is at a similar crossroads.

“India and Fiji have a close relationship. It gives me great pride to come to India as a Fijian and help them take rugby to the next level,” he added.

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