Master Naca has introduced a fresh perspective to the team. Gareth Baber, the consultant national program manager for 7s rugby, praised strength and conditioning expert Naca Cawanibuka for his impact on the team’s Olympic Games preparation.
“Everybody is very much aware of the qualities that he’s brought to 7s for a number of years,” Baber noted.
Cawanibuka has conducted several sessions with the team. Baber emphasized the importance of impactful coaching in such an environment, highlighting the team’s awareness of Cawanibuka’s expertise.
“During the few sessions he had with the team, it has been a different voice, a different input stimulus to the players, bringing us back to the legacy of what 7s has been here in Fiji for the past few decades,” Baber said.
The team’s goal is to further develop and expand that legacy. Cawanibuka played a pivotal role in the 7s team that clinched the first 7s gold in Rio, Brazil, in 2016 and repeated the feat with another gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.