More Hotels Partner Bayleys Coral Coast Sevens

Gecko’s Resort

Bedarra Beach Inn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday 25 July

Two more hotels have announced new partnerships with the Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens.

Bedarra Beach Inn and Gecko's Resort will both be Official Hotels of the tournament at Lawaqa Park on November 13-15.

Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji renewed their association on Tuesday.

"The annual Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens is one of the highlights of the calendar on the Coral Coast," said David Keeble of Bedarra Beach Inn. "The event attracts quality teams, a large crowd and significant media coverage both here and overseas and has proven itself as one of the premier tournaments in the world below the IRB Sevens World Series.

"We are delighted to be hosting some of the media at the Bedarra Beach Inn and look forward to a great weekend of rugby sevens."

The 24-team men's competition includes reigning champion Yamacia and visitors Rangataua (New Zealand) and Lauli'i Lions (Samoa), both winners of partner tournaments. The champions of next month's Serevi Rugbytown Sevens (Colorado) and October's Fitness First Central Coast Sevens (NSW) will also be invited.

Outrigger, Coastal Rental Cars and Serevi Selects are the three sponsor teams to date while eight Fijian clubs will qualify at the Coastal Great Eight on November 1.

"Rugby sevens is the national sport of Fiji and the Bayleys Coral Coast Sevens brings out the best in our players," said Darren McPhee, Manager of Gecko's Resort. "Local clubs have made it clear this is the tournament they want to win while the overseas sides are keen to be crowned the 'champion of champions'.

"The presence in recent years of Waisale Serevi, David Campese, Jonah Lomu, Ben Gollings and Sir Gordon Tietjens has also given the tournament a fantastic reputation and we look forward to growing this in the years ahead."

Twelve women's teams will also be part of the tournament and confirmed entries include Aussie Pearls, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Sunnybank, Redlands, Sydney Fiji Ranadi, Pacific 2 Blues, Marist Seahawks and Lady Babas.

Tournament Director Nick Jordan said more teams were making enquiries and he expected the number of visiting teams to be close to 20 by the time of the tournament.

Bayleys Real Estate (Fiji) is the title sponsor of the tournament for the second year.

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Fiji Coral Coast Rugby Sevens

Champion Fiji sevens teams battling it out in the Fiji Coral Coast Sevens tournament include:
 

• Waimanu sevens team, one of the top teams in the country and the runner up to the Digicel sevens team that won the Suva International sevens in January 2010. The club plays under the Naitasiri Rugby Union and produces many of Fiji's finest players, such as Rokini Kiliraki, Sailosi Naiteqe and Lemeki Duidomo
• Red Rock, one of the top Suva teams, which has produced players like Lepani Nabuliwaqa
• Police Suva/Lautoka/Labasa/Mobile, the police rugby teams always provide competitive sevens rugby around the country and scoop most prizes
• Prison Team, Suva/Lautoka, a top team and once the champions of sevens competition around the country
• Nawaka, from the Nadi district, is also one of the best sevens teams in the country
• Marist, a Suva club team, which has also held the title of top sevens team in the country

Fiji Coral Coast Sevens tournament matches will be played at Lawaqa Park, Coral Coast

Nadroga, the club hosting the event, is a household name in the history of rugby in Fiji. This team is currently the champion of Fiji rugby and holds the Farebrother Trophy and the Digicel Cup. Games will be played at Nadroga Rugby's, Lawaqa Park, one of the best rugby grounds in the country and home to the IRB funded High Performance Unit for Fiji Rugby.

Fiji Sevens team is one of the most successful rugby sevens teams in the world

The national Fiji Sevens team is one of the most admired and successful rugby sevens teams in the world and is famous for its speed and finesse on the field. Fiji is the only nation to have won the Rugby World Cup Sevens twice, in 1997 and 2005 and it has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since 1976.

The Fiji national rugby sevens team competes in the World Series Sevens and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. As a nation, Fiji takes its rugby very seriously, celebrating with a national holiday after its World Cup victories.

Fiji Sevens players considered international greats

Sevens rugby in Fiji is always the feeder team to the National fifteen side and has repeatedly and consistently been shown to produce some of Fiji's finest players. These players are renowned in world rugby and have made their name alongside some international greats. Brilliant Fiji players include Rupeni Caucau, who is one of the world's fastest wingers, Sireli Bobo, Filimoni Delasau and Waisale Serevi, considered a legendary sevens player.