Western Force Academy prospect earns Coral Coast 7s call-up

Western Force Academy prospect Peni Naqau will take on some HSBC SVNS Series greats and Super Rugby flyers at the Coral Coast 7s in Sigatoka this week, named alongside four Indian internationals in the Chennai Bulls Select squad.

24 men’s teams have been split across six pools for the event on January 15-17, which is Thursday through to Saturday. There are two pools of five in the women’s competition, and 16 youth teams taking part in the prestigious tournament.

Naqau impressed during a three-match U19s campaign with the Force in 2025, playing every minute possible for the Perth-based side. The winger finished with the second-most carry metres out of any Force player with 334, scoring one try, making 11 line breaks and beating 11 defenders.

The Southern Lions outside back was rewarded with a spot in the Australian Youth Boys 7s squad ahead of a camp in New South Wales on November 7 to 9, before another opportunity was presented to the young talent.

Naqau will play alongside four Indian national team representatives and nine Fijians who are products of the local area. Chennai took out the inaugural Rugby Premier League title in 2025, although that side was made of SVNS Series and local Indian players.

Teams from Fiji, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Solomon Islands and Great Britain are set to take the field. McDonald’s Mike Friday Select 7s are one of the teams in Chennai’s pool, featuring Perry ‘the Speedstick’ Baker and other big-name players.

USA and Fiji’s Axellerate Dominion Brother are the other sides looking to progress out of Chennai’s pool. Chennai started their campaign on Thursday with a 14-10 defeat to the USA, which features high-profile players Lucas Lacamp and Stephen Tomasin.

“We are looking for players to rise and consistently impact the game positively, respond to adversity, hold our standards, and trust what we have built on the offseason and continue to build upon it,” coach Zack Test said earlier this week.

“We are looking for consistent, repeatable, positive impact on the game overall – not flashes. We want to see players making good decisions, impacting moments, and influencing play whether they’re directly involved or supporting.

“New opposition will challenge us in different ways, and will test how quickly we respond: our body language, our communication, and our ability to reset and stay connected to the next action. We want to see that our standards travel. Regardless of venue, opponent, or circumstance, the expectations around effort, detail, and behaviour don’t change.”