Sevens: Teenager vies for home debut

Rotorua's Masiu Vainikolo is in contention to make the Bay men's sevens team competing at nationals this weekend. He is pictured (with ball) playing for Western Heights High School last year. Photo / Stephen Parker

Young sevens talent Masiu Vainikolo says it would be a dream come true to play for his home province at the Bayleys National Sevens in Rotorua.

Vainikolo, 18, from Rotorua, is one of the youngest players in the Bay men's sevens squad this season and is in contention to make the 12-strong team playing at nationals this weekend.

The former Western Heights High School head boy said he was learning a lot playing senior sevens this summer, and would love to run out on to the Rotorua International Stadium field this weekend.

"It would be so awesome," he said. "I've always gone down to the Bayleys National Sevens and watched the Bay team and it has been a dream to play for them at the tournament."

The Bayleys National Sevens, featuring the best provincial men's and women's teams from across the country, will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Vainikolo was invited to train with the Bay men's sevens team this season after catching the eye of one of the coaches during an under-19 tournament. He also played at the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium in Hawaii during an indigenous sevens tournament last year, helping a team from Hamilton win that competition.

"It's been a good experience playing with the older boys and playing senior sevens rugby. It's so much tougher and everyone has more experience than secondary schools."

Bay of Plenty men's sevens coach Peter Woods has used Vainikolo during his team's last two big tournaments, including the Bay Engineer Supplies Provincial Sevens tournament held at Mount Maunganui last weekend.

Following that tournament, Woods said he had some tough decisions to make ahead of naming his final 12-man team this week.

"As a coach you want a bit of a headache when it comes to selection with two or three guys fighting for one position."

Woods said he hoped to finalise his 12-man team tomorrow evening but was waiting on the fitness of a couple of his players. Two players are still to be cleared from ankle sprains suffered in Mount Maunganui at the weekend " Rewita Biddle and Ngatai Kingi.

Fortunately, captain Matt Axtens will almost certainly be okay for this weekend's tournament, following a cut near his eye, and Zar Lawrence is also hoping to recover in time following an Achilles problem.

The Bay of Plenty women's sevens team failed to qualify for nationals during their qualifying event in December.

- Check out the Rotorua Daily Post website for full coverage of the sevens tournament this weekend.