Surrey Stars players raise aloft the Jayden Memorial Cup, the team beat Rewa 3-0 in the final at the Bear Creek Park in Surrey
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Opinions / Analysis
JERRY Tuwai, the Fiji Airways Fijian Men’s 7s wizard has won the World Rugby Men’s 7s Player of the Year award.
After being nominated twice before in, 2017 and 2018, and losing back to back to USA’s speed merchant Perry Baker, Japan turned out to be his lucky charm.
Tuwai, many a times budded as ‘little Jerry’ for his height said it had been a long journey, a hard journey, “for me as you can see, I’m the smallest player in the World Series, yeah it’s very hard”.
But the smallest player with uncanny skills and camaraderie continues to mesmerize the sport and its fans.
The adored Fijian beat USA teammates Stephen Tomasin and Folau Niua for the award.
Tuwai deserved the award and more.
The country needs to put rose petals at his feet and a laurel wreath for his head.
Whatever you can dream up, Tuwai has earned every bit of it.
He gives his all game in and out, motivates and inspires while carrying a bulk load for his players around him.
And when it seems to him the team is lacking that amber flakes, he reflexes with ease to turn nothing into something.
His doomed runs, if you will, is just as thrilling to watch, the bigger the opponents, the clever the moves, it’s what makes him the player he is.
World Rugby Sevens Series commentator, Karl Te Nana described him as the Fijian live wire during the Vancouver Sevens in 2017.
“What he does is super special. Super fun, too”, he said in a Sportsone interview.
He said Tuwai’s uncanny moves, his elusiveness and dedication to the game makes him a standout.
“He has that and all in that little man, Tuwai’ we know”.
“There’s no question that he’s the best”.
And 2 years on and on the back of the 2018-2019 HSBC World Rugby Seven Series title win, Tuiwai wins the World Rugby Men’s 7s Player of the Year award.
Tuwai, is the only player from Fiji’s 2016 Olympic gold medal winning team on coach Gareth Barber’s roster, others have moved on, he is still playing an integral part as they’re preparing for the 2019-2020 HSBC World Sevens Series.
“Thank God for this. I think I’m here accepting this award on behalf of my boys, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been standing here today, I’m just there running beside them receiving their offloads and yeah, I’m just grateful, blessing to Tomasin and Folau for their rugby careers and I’m really honored to be here”, Tuiwai said with a smile stretching ear to ear. He said the award means the world to him, his family and Fiji.
“It’s been a long journey a hard journey for me as you can see, I’m the smallest player in the world series, yeah it’s very hard”.
Jerry is the second Fiji player to win after Samisoni Viriviri first won it in 2014.
He will again be looked up for his contributions and unerring magic, as no player is more important than him, that is Jerry Tuwai.