Waisale Serevi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Waisale Serevi

Serevi in 2014
Birth name	Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi
Date of birth	(1968-05-20) 20 May 1968 (age 57)
Place of birth	Suva, Fiji
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	85 kg (13 st 5 lb; 187 lb)
School	Delainamasi Government School Lelean Memorial School
Spouse	Karalaini
Children	Two daughters and a son
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback, Scrum-half Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1987–88 Rewa () 1989 Nabua () 1989 Suva () Correct as of 14 March 2007 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1993–96 Mitsubishi 0 (0) 1997–98 Leicester () 1998–2003 Stade Montois () 2004 Stade Bordelais () 2004–08 Staines () Correct as of 14 March 2007 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1987 Fiji B () 1987 Fiji XV () 1989–03 Fiji 39 (219) Correct as of 14 March 2007 Correct as of 9 July 2007 Teams coached Years Team 2005–07 Fiji Sevens 2008–09 Fiji Sevens 2018–19 Russia Sevens Correct as of 28 November 2019

Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi (born May 20, 1968) is a famous former rugby union player and coach from Fiji. He is known as "The Wizard" because of his amazing skills. Many people think he is the best rugby sevens player ever. He is even in the World Rugby Hall of Fame!

Serevi played for the Fiji national team 39 times. This was in the 15-player version of rugby. He scored 376 points for Fiji between 1989 and 2003. He also played in three Rugby World Cups: 1991, 1999, and 2003. He played for professional clubs like Leicester Tigers in England.

His career in rugby sevens began in 1989. He played for the Fiji Sevens team at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament. He helped Fiji win the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1997 and 2005. He also won silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and a bronze in 2006. In 2005, he became the player-coach for the Fiji Sevens team. He led them to win the IRB Sevens World Series in 2005–06. This was the first time a team other than New Zealand won the series.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Waisale Serevi was born in Suva, Fiji, on May 20, 1968. He was the third of five children. His parents were very religious Christians. Serevi was inspired to play rugby when Fiji beat the British and Irish Lions in 1977. He saw how happy this victory made everyone in Fiji. This made him want to play rugby too.

His family moved to Suva where he started high school. He went to Lelean Memorial School. However, he struggled with his studies. He failed his tenth-year exams in 1984. Serevi said he "played too much and didn't spend enough time studying."

After leaving school, Serevi kept playing for his local club, Rewa. At first, his coach thought he was too small to play. But when he was 17, he was chosen for the senior team. Later, his uncle asked him to join the Nabua Rugby Club. This team was very successful in Fiji's sevens tournaments.

Waisale Serevi's Club Rugby Career

Before 1993, Serevi played for the Nasinu Rugby Club in Fiji. He also played for Suva many times. In 1993, he joined the Mitsubishi team in Japan. He earned a good salary playing there.

In 1994, some Australian rugby league clubs wanted him to play for them. But Serevi decided to stay with Mitsubishi. He got a pay raise, and the Methodist Church in Fiji wanted him to keep playing rugby union.

Serevi played for Mitsubishi until 1997. Then he moved to England to play for Leicester Tigers. He stayed there for one season. After that, he joined the French club Stade Montois.

At Stade Montois, Serevi also became part of the coaching staff. He later played for Stade Bordelais in France in 2004. In late 2004, he joined the London club Staines. He stopped playing professional club rugby in 2005.

Waisale Serevi's International Rugby Career

In 1987, Serevi was chosen for the Fiji B team. The next year, he played for Fiji against Wellington in New Zealand. This was his first game in front of a big crowd. In 1989, he made his official Test debut for Fiji against Belgium.

Serevi played regularly for Fiji in 1989 and 1990. He was chosen for the 1991 Rugby World Cup squad. He played against France and Canada. Fiji lost both games. Fiji did not qualify for the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

In 1996, Serevi played for Fiji again after a break. They won against Northland. This was his first win with the national team since 1991. He played seven games that year, including against South Africa.

He played for Fiji again in 1998, including a big win against Scotland. He also played against Australia and Tonga. In 1999, Fiji won against Spain and Uruguay. Fiji qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Serevi played in three matches, including wins over Namibia and Canada.

After 1999, Serevi did not play for Fiji again until 2001. He scored many points in a match against Italy. He also captained Fiji in a win over the French Barbarians.

In 2002, Serevi played four matches for Fiji, but they lost all of them. His last season for Fiji was in 2003. He played in games leading up to the 2003 Rugby World Cup. His very last match for Fiji was a win against Japan in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. This was his third World Cup tournament.

Waisale Serevi's Sevens Rugby Career

Serevi's sevens career began in 1989 at the Sydney Sevens. Later that year, he played in the Hong Kong Sevens. Even though New Zealand won, Serevi was named the best player. In 1990, Fiji won their first of three Hong Kong Sevens titles in a row. Serevi was again named player of the tournament. He won this award again in 1992.

In 1993, Fiji lost in the final of the Hong Kong Sevens to Samoa. Fiji then played in the first-ever Rugby World Cup Sevens in Scotland. Serevi was one of the top point scorers in the tournament. Fiji lost to England in the semi-final.

Sevens Success: 1994-1999

Serevi returned to the Hong Kong Sevens in 1994. Fiji lost to New Zealand in the semi-final. In 1995, Serevi was the captain. Fiji lost to New Zealand in the final. In 1996, Fiji again met New Zealand in the final and lost closely. Serevi ended the year by leading Fiji to win the Dubai Sevens.

The 1997 Hong Kong Sevens was also the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Serevi was Fiji's captain. He promised Fiji that he would "bring back the Melrose Cup." Fiji played very well, not letting opponents score points until the semi-final. They faced South Africa in the final and won 24–21. Serevi was the top scorer with 117 points.

In 1998, Serevi led Fiji to win the Hong Kong Sevens again. He was named player of the tournament. Later that year, he led Fiji at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. They lost to New Zealand in the final, winning a silver medal.

Sevens Series and Player-Coach Role

In 1999, Serevi captained Fiji to another Hong Kong Sevens win. He dedicated the win to his two daughters. The first International Rugby Board Sevens series started in 1999. Serevi helped Fiji win tournaments in South Africa, Argentina, and New Zealand. In New Zealand, he was the top point scorer.

At the Brisbane leg of the series, Serevi scored an amazing try. With less than a minute left, he broke through several tackles and ran 80 meters to score the winning try for Fiji. This try was called "the greatest individual try in sevens series history." Fiji lost the Hong Kong Sevens final in 2000. Serevi's last tournament of the series that year was in Japan, where Fiji won.

In 2001, Serevi led Fiji in the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina. Fiji lost to Australia in the semi-final. He also led Fiji to a gold medal at the World Games in Japan.

In 2002, Serevi played in many Sevens Series tournaments. In Hong Kong, he scored points that took his total over 1000. Fiji lost to England in the final. Later that year, Serevi captained Fiji at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Fiji won another silver medal after losing to New Zealand in the final.

Serevi did not play for Fiji in sevens in 2003. He was not chosen for the Hong Kong Sevens team. This was because he could not return to Fiji for a fitness test.

In 2004, Serevi was called back to the Fiji sevens squad. He played in the Bordeaux and London legs of the Sevens Series.

Player-Coach: 2005-2007

In 2005, Serevi returned to Fiji to play in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens. He was named captain. Fiji won all their pool matches. Serevi was very important to the team. He scored the winning try against England in the semi-final. Then, he led Fiji to win the World Cup against New Zealand in the final! He became the World Cup's all-time leading point scorer.

A national holiday was declared in Fiji to celebrate their win. The Prime Minister congratulated Serevi and the team. On March 30, Serevi was appointed the new coach of the Fiji Sevens team.

As player-coach, Serevi led Fiji to win the George, Wellington, Singapore, and London legs of the 2005–06 World Sevens Series. Fiji also reached the finals in Dubai, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. Fiji won the entire Series! This was the first time a team other than New Zealand won it. The Prime Minister praised Serevi for setting an example of vision and hard work. A special song was even written for Serevi.

In 2006, Serevi also coached Fiji to a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In 2007, Serevi coached Fiji to the final of the Wellington Sevens. They lost to Samoa. But they won the next tournament in San Diego. At the 2007 Hong Kong Sevens, Serevi made a world record 18th appearance. Fiji beat New Zealand but lost to Samoa in the final. Fiji won the next tournament in Adelaide.

Fiji reached the final of the London leg but lost to New Zealand. In the last leg in Edinburgh, Fiji needed to reach the semi-finals to win the series. They lost to Wales in a big upset. New Zealand then won the tournament and the series. On July 6, 2007, Serevi resigned as coach.

Coaching After Fiji

In 2008, Serevi returned as Fiji's coach for the 2008–09 IRB World Sevens Series. However, his team did not do well. He also had disagreements with the Fiji Rugby Union. Because of this, he was dismissed in January 2009.

In 2009, Serevi was hired by the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union. He became their sevens development officer and later their national sevens coach. But this job also ended in 2010.

Life in the United States

After leaving Papua New Guinea, Serevi moved his family to Seattle, Washington, in the United States. He started a new brand called Serevi Rugby Nation. This helped raise money for Pacific Islander players. He also ran rugby training workshops for young people. In 2013, he returned to Fiji as a trainer and assistant coach for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.

Personal Life

Serevi married his wife, Karalaini, in 1993. They have three children: two daughters, Unaisi and Asinate Serevi, and a son, Waisale Serevi Junior. His wife stopped working to focus on their family and his rugby career. Serevi often spent time away from his family during his career.

He is a very religious Christian. He and his family go to church regularly. On his rugby gear, Serevi always writes "Philippians 4:13". This is a Bible verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

While living in Japan, Serevi learned Japanese. He also taught English there. He enjoys listening to music and watching movies. Besides rugby, he likes to play touch rugby and volleyball. He also enjoys meeting new people and traveling.

In 2007, Serevi was appointed a Special Inspector with the Fiji Police Force. He works in youth and community policing.

Amazing Achievements

Serevi has received many honors for his rugby career. In 2005, he was inducted into the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee's Hall of Fame. He was also named the Fiji Times 2005 Personality of the Year.

In 2013, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. He was the first Fijian to receive this special award. The chairman of World Rugby, Bernard Lapasset, said Serevi was an "exceptional player." He said Serevi won the hearts of fans around the world with his exciting style of play.

Rugby Union (15s) Achievements

• Rugby World Cup tournaments: 1991, 1999, 2003
• Barbarians matches, played against: Scotland (2002), Leicester (2002 and 2003), London Irish (2003)
• World XV matches, played against: Leicester (1996 and 1997)

Rugby Sevens Achievements

Waisale Serevi during the 2007 Wellington Sevens

Rugby World Cup Sevens

Serevi played in four Rugby World Cup Sevens: 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005. He helped Fiji win the World Cup in 1997 and 2005. He is the top point scorer in World Cup Sevens history with 297 points. He is also the second-highest try scorer with 21 tries.

Commonwealth and World Games

Serevi played in three Commonwealth Games: 1998, 2002, and 2006. He won silver medals with Fiji in 1998 and 2002. He won a bronze medal in 2006. Serevi also led Fiji to win gold medals at the 2001 World Games in Japan and the 2005 World Games in Germany.

IRB Sevens World Series

Serevi played in many IRB Sevens tournaments. He is the fourth-highest point scorer in the series with 1310 points. This includes 79 tries and 457 goals. The years in bold show when Fiji won the tournament.

• Adelaide : 2007
• Argentina : 2002
• Bordeaux : 2004, 2005
• Brisbane : 2000, 2002
• Chile : 2002
• China : 2002
• Dubai : 2005, 2006
• Edinburgh : 2007
• Fiji : 1999, 2000
• Japan : 2000
• George : 1999, 2005, 2006
• London : 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• Paris : 2006
• Wales : 2001
• Singapore : 2006
• Wellington : 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007
• US : 2006, 2007

Hong Kong Sevens

This table shows Serevi's results at the Hong Kong Sevens tournaments. This includes World Cup Sevens and IRB Sevens Series games.

Images for kids

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  Serevi in 2014

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  Waisale Serevi during the 2007 Wellington Sevens

See also

In Spanish: Waisale Serevi para niños