Baber calls for focus on the job not external distractions.

Fiji Airways Fijian 7s forward Mesulame Kunavula is hard at work with his team mates preparing for the critical upcoming legs of the HSBC World Sevens Series in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The 23 year old Nadroumai, Nadroga native who is a senior member of the Fijian 7s is currently in final negotiations with European based club Edinburgh, but will not be leaving his team mates high and dry at the critical end of the current season.

Head Coach Gareth Baber says the team is intently focussed on the Hong Kong tournaments and that recent reports speculating around Kunavula’s future are both inaccurate and an unnecessary distraction for the job ahead.

“Right now the team is working hard and focussing on putting our best possible performance on the park against Kenya in our first match at Hong Kong” he said.

“What the players are doing with their future beyond the current HSBC World Sevens Series should not be impacting the team’s focus right now.” 

This insight from the Head Coach further dispels reports in Fiji media suggesting that Kunavula has terminated discussions with the UK based club where Fiji Airways Flying Fijian Viliame Mata and recently announced Eroni Sau and Kalione Nasoko will be based next season. 

“Mesu is currently in negotiations with Edinburgh, we know that, and we want the best for his future, but right now, we need to have our eyes fixed on Hong Kong.”

Kunavula was given special dispensation by Fiji Rugby and Coach Baber to make a visit to Edinburgh following the Vancouver tournament and resumed training with the squad as normal last week.

The team are set to depart Fiji later this week in preparation of the upcoming Hong Kong tournament where pressure is mounting to claim the coveted title, with Baber looking to his entire squad to raise their hands and show their commitment to the next two legs.