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Edinburgh pull out of deal to sign Fijian Sevens skipper Nasoko

By Online Editors
Kalione Nasoko is a star for Fiji on the sevens circuit but he won't be coming to PRO14 after Edinburgh pulled out of deal (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Edinburgh have backed out of signing Kalione Nasoko after the Fijian winger failed his medical. The Murrayfield outfit announced in March that they have struck a deal for the 28-year-old that would see him join Richard Cockerill’s squad this summer.

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The move was subject to the Fiji Sevens captain getting the green light from Edinburgh’s doctors and the proposed move has now been called off following “further examination on a pre-existing injury”.

In a statement, Edinburgh said: “Nasoko was due to join the squad next month and the signing was initially referenced in March, subject to a medical, but following additional testing from both the club’s and Fiji’s medical staff, it has been confirmed that the player will be returned to the care of the Fiji Sevens team at this time.”

Cockerill had been looking forward to adding the 6ft 3ins, 92kg flyer – who was named in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series Dream Team in both 2017 and 2018 – to his squad, claiming he would add an “x-factor” to the Edinburgh attack.

But after breaking the bad news to Nasoko, he said: “We’re obviously really disappointed that the deal won’t be going ahead as Kalione is clearly an exciting talent. We also really feel for the player himself as he was looking forward to joining us.

“However, it has been decided, in collaboration with the club’s medical staff, that this is the best course of action in relation to the player’s overall well-being heading into next season and beyond. We all wish Kalione the best moving forward.”

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On signing for Edinburgh on March 26, Nasoko had said: “I’m very excited by the opportunity to join Edinburgh. I am friends with Viliame Mata and he has said great things about the club – I can’t wait to get started.

“This is a great opportunity for my family, and after many years on the Sevens circuit, I can’t wait for this new challenge in Scotland. Everyone sounds very welcoming and I am looking forward to running out in front of the Edinburgh fans.”

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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