Team Fiji men’s rugby sevens rover Jioji Nasova is the sole player in the squad who made his debut in the HSBC SVNS series this year. He has now been approved to represent Fiji at the Paris Olympic Games, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
The 23-year-old shared that playing at the Hong Kong Sevens held special significance for him, as it marked the start of his international career. “I made my debut in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Madrid,” Nasova stated.
“I thank the coaches for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to represent Fiji at the world’s most prestigious competition, the Olympics. We have all put in the hard work to defend the gold medal. Fiji won it consecutively, and we will strive to win gold for the third time,” Nasova added.
Originally from Toge in Ba, Nasova also played for Beijing RC in 2023 under a one-year contract after being scouted while playing for Dominion Brothers. “I participated in the Suva 10s, where a coach from China noticed me and offered me a contract,” Nasova recounted.
He started his education at Toge Primary School, then moved to Nukuloa College and Ba Provincial Freebird Institute where he initially played rugby league. This phase was short-lived as he was selected to play for Naitasiri Under-20 in the Skipper Cup competition.