Paris Games: Jerry Tuwai reflects on ‘misunderstanding’ with Ben Gollings

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Jerry Tuwai is back on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Only a few months ago, it seemed the rugby sevens legend wouldn’t take part in the Paris Olympics after missing out on another Fiji squad.

Tuwai didn’t take part in the SVNS Series until the Grand Final in Madrid. Former coach Ben Gollings had overlooked the 35-year-old earlier in the season, with the Englishman reportedly putting that non-selection down to fitness.

New boss Osea Kolinisau, who won Olympic gold at the 2016 Rio Games with Tuwai, came into the head coach role a matter of weeks before the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens. Kolinisau didn’t pick his old teammate for that tournament or the next one in Singapore.

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But when Fiji named their playing squad for the Grand Final event at Civitas Metropolitano, the inclusion of Tuwai was by far the biggest talking point. Fiji were uncharacteristically poor during the regular season and were desperate to turn their fortunes around.

Tuwai was an unused substitute in Fiji’s thrilling win over traditional rivals New Zealand in their first match, but by the end of the tournament, the sevens veteran was starting. Almost two months on, Tuwai is Fiji’s sevens captain at the Olympic Games in Paris.

“A lot of things that happened a few months ago, it hurts me, it hurts me to my core that I was not able to compete on the SVNS Series,” Tuwai said on the Olympics broadcast.

“But I never lost hope. I always believed that I could make another Olympics.

“A few months later, I’m here. I just played my first game so it’s a blessing.

“He’s not a bad man, he’s not a bad coach – he’s a very good man. I respect him. He’s a good coach too, a very good coach,” Tuwai explained when asked about Ben Gollings.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding between us, between the media, between the people that have caused a lot of drama, unnecessary drama, that I think carried onto my boys on the Series.

“But as I said, he’s a good man, he’s a good coach. It is all misunderstanding that caused a lot of drama.”

With Tuwai leading the way, Fiji have gotten off to a perfect start as they look to become the first nation to win three Olympic gold medals in rugby sevens.

The Fijians opened their account with a blistering 40-12 win newly-promoted SVNS Series side Uruguay before backing that up with a 38-12triumph over the USA. Those results were the second and third biggest winning margins on the opening day in Saint-Denis.

With 80,000 fans watching on at Stade de France, the two-time defending Olympic gold medallists shot out of the blocks in a crunch clash with the USA by piling on 33 points in the first half alone.

That match was practically over then and there.

Waisea Nacuqu scored one more for Fiji in the second term before USA sevens great Perry Baker had the final say with a runaway try. But the match was well and truly over before that point, and Fiji will take plenty of confidence out of that result.

They take on Antoine Dupont’s Fance in the early hours of Friday morning (Fiji time). But for now, putting the results aside, it’s time to admire the efforts of Jerry Tuwai who has clearly worked hard to get back for the Games.

“It was never my dream. Rugby was not in the Olympics,” he added. “After the first Olympics, I thought to myself, ‘I can do it again.’ And after the second, ‘I can do it again.’

“Now in my third, I don’t know if I’m going to go again after this but it’s all in God’s hands.”