 Kolinisau in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Ratu Osea Ramodi Kolinisau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 17 November 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Suva, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Osea Kolinisau, OF (born 17 November 1985) is a Fijian rugby union player who plays for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR). He captained the Fiji Sevens side to their first olympic gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is currently the coach of Fiji Mens Sevens Rugby.
Kolinisau was born in Suva, Fiji. He attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, where he started playing rugby. He went on to play club rugby for Covenant Brother Rugby Club and in the 2012 Coral Coast Sevens tournament, for the Serevi Selects. [1]
Kolinisau debuted for Fiji in the 2008 Dubai Sevens tournament. After a stint playing 15 a side rugby during the 201/11 season for french club Agen in the French Top 14, [2] he captained the first Fiji side to win the Dubai 7s for the 2013–14 Sevens World Series since the Sevens Series began. [3] Winner of HSBC World Series Rugby Sevens 2014–2015 and 2015–2016.
He is best known for being the most capped player for the Fiji Sevens team and for leading Fiji to two consecutive first-place finishes in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series for the 2014–15 and the 2015-16 seasons. Osea is the 12th all-time HSBC Sevens Series point scorer with 1272 points. He played in 301 matches and scored 122 tries.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he was the flag bearer for team Fiji. He declared "Rugby is Fiji’s number one international sport, I was proud to be able to represent, not only myself and my team, but my family and my country as well. This was a huge achievement." [4]
Kolinisau was captain for the Fiji sevens team and led them to the gold medal and Fiji's first ever medal at an Olympic Games. Fiji won by beating Team Great Britain in the final by 43–7 with Kolinisau scoring the first try. [5]
Following the Olympic Games, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Fiji, which is presented for achievement and merit to Fiji and mankind as a whole. He is also depicted on a commemorative Fiji 7 Dollar Banknote. [6]
His coach in the Fiji Sevens team, Ben Ryan, also arranged for a scholarship to be offered to attend Loughborough University, but soon after came the opportunity to go back to 15s and play in the inaugural Major League Rugby season for the Houston SaberCats. Kolinisau played for the SaberCats for the 2018-2020 seasons but left the team and played for the Asia Pacific Dragons at the World Tens Series in Bermuda in October and November 2020. Kolinisau signed with Old Glory DC of the MLR for two matches in April 2021. [7]
Head Coach of Fiji Mens Sevens
Kolinisau now holds the top job of Fiji 7s Rugby. His appointment as the new head coach follows after the clear foreseeable sacking of his predecessor, Ben Gollings. Kolinisau brings his wealth of experience to lead the team forward starting March 8, 2024. Four months out from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kolinisau is married to Mere Tavu Fa. [8]
He is a devout Christian, and credits his faith for his achievements in rugby. "Getting to where I have come in my rugby career took a lot of hard work and training. I’m thankful for all of my father’s teaching and support. As a pastor, my father taught me that with hard work and faith in Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. I’ve seen that come to fruition in my own life. I always dreamed of playing in the Rugby World Cup. And I was fortunate enough to play in the Olympic Games. I know that it was Christ who gave me my talent and I’m thankful for the opportunities He’s given me to use it for His glory." [9]
In 2021, World Rugby inducted Kolinisau into its World Rugby Hall of Fame, alongside Humphrey Kayange, Huriana Manuel, Cheryl McAfee, Will Carling and Jim Telfer. [10]
Ben Gollings is an English former rugby union player who most recently worked as a rugby coach for Fiji sevens team. Gollings is best known for his time with the England national rugby sevens team. He is the career leader in points scored on the World Rugby Sevens Series with 2,652 points.
The Fiji national rugby sevens team has competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Olympics. Fiji won the gold medal in the inaugural rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics in 2016 in Brazil, the country's first Olympic medal in any event, and repeated as Olympic champions in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, defeating New Zealand. Thus Fiji is the sole nation to have won mens Olympic gold in the sport. They are the only country in the world to have won the Sevens Treble, the three major achievements in Sevens. They have won multiple World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Kisi Keomaka "Maka" Unufe is an American rugby union player. He has played over a decade with the United States national rugby sevens team. He also played for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR) as a center.
Alexander Magleby is the CEO of the professional rugby union team, The New England Free Jacks. He is a former professional rugby union coach, and former United States national team player and captain.
The Fiji women's national rugby sevens team represents Fiji at regional and international sevens tournaments.
The Papua New Guinea women's national rugby sevens team represents Papua New Guinea in international women's rugby sevens tournaments. They are regular participants at the Oceania Women's Sevens Championship and Pacific Games.
Andrew Durutalo is a Fijian-raised American-born professional rugby player who plays for the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby (MLR). He has been capped by the U.S. national sevens team and the United States national rugby union team.
Danny Barrett is an American rugby player who played as a forward. He played for the U.S. national rugby team, and also played for the U.S. national rugby sevens team. Barrett was in the Men's Eagles Sevens pool for the World Rugby Sevens Series until late 2021. Barrett's strong play during the 2016–17 season landed him one of the seven spots on the 2017 season Dream Team, alongside teammate Perry Baker. In December 2021, Barrett signed to play for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Semi Kunabuli Kunatani is a Fiji rugby union player. He plays for the Fiji sevens team and also the Tel Aviv Heat. He previously played for Top 14 side Castres and Top 14 side, Stade Toulousain and Premiership Rugby side Harlequins. Kunatani debuted for Fiji in 2013 Dubai Sevens tournament.
Seremaia Tuwai Vunisa, also known as Jerry Tuwai, is a Fiji rugby union player who plays for the Fiji national rugby sevens team. Tuwai made his debut for Fiji 7s at the 2014 Gold Coast Sevens. He was part of the Fiji Sevens team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was named World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2019.
The 2015–16 World Rugby Sevens Series, known for sponsorship reasons as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, was the 17th annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for national men's rugby sevens teams. The Sevens Series has been run by World Rugby since 1999–2000. This season, the series expanded from nine to ten events.
Jasa Veremalua is a Fijian rugby union player who plays for the Tel Aviv Heat. He played for San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also plays for the Fiji sevens team. Veremalua made his debut for Fiji 7s at the 2013 Wellington Sevens. He is from Korotogo Village in the Nadroga Navosa Province.
The Houston SaberCats are an American professional rugby union team based in Houston, Texas. The team was founded in 2017 and competes in Major League Rugby, the top-level rugby union competition in the United States and Canada that played its first season in 2018. The SaberCats organization was born from one of the founding amateur rugby clubs that pooled resources to emerge professionally, and were the first in MLR membership to build a rugby-specific stadium intended for MLR competition.
Malon Maurice Al-Jiboori is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States men's national rugby sevens team and the United States men's national team (XVs). He currently plays for Ealing Trailfinders and the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Jamason Faʻanana-Schultz is a rugby union player who plays as a flanker or number 8. He currently plays for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR). Although born in Australia, he has played for the United States national rugby union team, having qualified through his American-born father.
Josua Vici is a Fijian professional rugby union player. He plays as a winger for the US Colomiers in Pro D2 having previously played for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby and previously for the Fiji 7s team internationally.
Makeen Alikhan is a Canadian rugby union player who plays for Dallas Jackals in the MLR on loan from Harlequins.
Jake Turnbull, is an Australian-born American international rugby union player who currently captains Anthem Rugby Carolina in the MLR.
This is a list of the complete squads for the 2023–24 SVNS.
