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 20 May 1968) is a famous Fijian former rugby union player and coach. He is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Serevi is best known for his amazing skills in rugby sevens, a faster version of rugby. He also had a long career in the traditional fifteen-a-side rugby. Commentators called him "The Wizard" because of his incredible plays. Many people think he is the greatest rugby sevens player ever. A book about him, Waisale Serevi: King of Sevens, was published in 2018.

In the 15-player game, he played for Fiji 39 times between 1989 and 2003. He scored 376 points for his country. This included playing in the 1991, 1999, and 2003 Rugby World Cup tournaments. He also played professionally for clubs like Mitsubishi, Leicester, and Stade Montois.

His rugby sevens career began in 1989 at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament. Serevi played in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005. He helped Fiji win the World Cup in 1997 and 2005. He also won silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and a bronze medal in 2006. In 2005, after winning the World Cup, Serevi became the player-coach for the Fiji Sevens national team. He led Fiji to win the 2005–06 World Sevens Series, which was a big deal because it was the first time a team other than New Zealand had won it.

Early Life and Rugby Dreams

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

His family moved to Suva, where Serevi went to Lelean Memorial School. However, he struggled with school because he loved rugby so much. He later said he "played too much and didn't spend enough time studying."

After leaving school, Serevi continued to play 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. Soon after, he joined the Nabua Rugby Club, which was very successful in Fiji's sevens tournaments.

Playing Rugby: The 15-Player Game

Club Rugby Adventures

Before 1993, Serevi played for local clubs in Fiji. In 1993, he joined the Mitsubishi team in Japan. He played for Mitsubishi until 1997.

Then, he moved to England to play for Leicester for one season. After that, he went to France and joined the Stade Montois club. He later played for Stade Bordelais and then for Staines in London. Serevi stopped playing professional club rugby in 2005.

Playing for Fiji

In 1987, Serevi was chosen for the Fiji B team. The next year, he played his first game for the main Fiji team against Wellington in New Zealand. His official international debut was in 1989 against Belgium.

Serevi played for Fiji in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, but they lost both their games. Fiji did not qualify for the 1995 World Cup. In 1996, Serevi returned to the Fiji team and helped them win their first game since 1991.

He continued to play for Fiji throughout the late 1990s. He was part of the team that qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in France. Serevi played in three matches during that World Cup.

After 1999, Serevi did not play for Fiji again until 2001. He played several more matches for Fiji in 2002 and 2003. His last game for Fiji was a win against Japan in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. This was his third Rugby World Cup tournament.

The Sevens Superstar

Early Sevens Success (1989–1993)

After playing local sevens in Fiji, Serevi was chosen for the Fiji national sevens team in 1989. He made his big debut at the Hong Kong Sevens. Even though New Zealand won the tournament, Serevi was named the best player.

In 1990, Fiji won the Hong Kong Sevens, and Serevi was again named player of the tournament. Fiji won the Hong Kong Sevens three years in a row, and Serevi was named best player again in 1992.

In 1993, Fiji reached the Hong Kong Sevens final but lost to Samoa. Later that year, Serevi played in the first-ever Rugby World Cup Sevens in Scotland. Fiji lost in the semi-finals, but Serevi was one of the top point scorers.

World Cup Wins and Commonwealth Medals (1994–2004)

Serevi continued to shine at the Hong Kong Sevens. In 1995 and 1996, Fiji reached the final but lost to New Zealand both times. In 1996, Serevi also led Fiji to victory in the Dubai Sevens.

The 1997 Hong Kong Sevens was also the Rugby Sevens World Cup. Serevi was Fiji's captain. He promised Fiji he would "bring back the Melrose Cup," which is the World Cup trophy. Fiji played incredibly well, not letting any team score against them until the semi-final. They beat South Africa 24–21 in the final. Serevi was the top scorer of the tournament with 117 points.

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

In 1999, Serevi captained Fiji to win the Hong Kong Sevens for the third year in a row. He dedicated the win to his daughters. That same year, the International Rugby Board (IRB) started the IRB Sevens World Series. Serevi helped Fiji win several tournaments in the series, including the South Africa Sevens and the Wellington Sevens. In a famous moment, Serevi scored an amazing 80-meter try against Australia in the Brisbane leg, which was voted try of the year.

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

In 2002, Serevi continued to play in the Sevens Series. He reached over 1000 points in Hong Kong Sevens history. Fiji reached the Hong Kong final but lost to England. Later that year, Serevi captained Fiji to another silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Serevi did not play for Fiji in sevens in 2003 and missed the Hong Kong Sevens. He returned to the Fiji squad in 2004 but missed some tournaments due to club commitments.

Player-Coach and Series Champion (2005–2007)

In 2005, Serevi returned to Fiji with the goal of playing in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens. He was named captain by coach Wayne Pivac. Serevi led Fiji to the World Cup final against New Zealand. He scored the winning try in sudden death against England in the semi-final. Fiji won the World Cup, and Serevi became the World Cup's all-time leading point scorer.

After this huge win, a national holiday was declared in Fiji. Serevi was then appointed as Fiji's new coach. He led Fiji to win gold at the 2005 World Games in Germany.

For the 2005–06 IRB Sevens Series, Serevi was both a player and the coach. Fiji won several tournaments, including the George, Wellington, Singapore, and London legs. Fiji won the overall Series title, becoming the first team other than New Zealand to do so. The Prime Minister of Fiji praised Serevi for setting an example of vision and hard work. A special song was even written for him!

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

In 2007, Serevi coached Fiji to win the San Diego and Adelaide legs of the Sevens Series. He made a world record 18th appearance at the Hong Kong Sevens. Fiji reached the final but lost to Samoa. Fiji needed to reach the semi-finals in the last tournament to win the series, but they lost to Wales. New Zealand then won the series by just two points. On 6 July 2007, Serevi resigned as coach.

Coaching Later Years (2007–Present)

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

In 2009, Serevi was hired by the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union to help with their sevens program. He later became their national sevens coach, but this role ended in 2010.

After that, Serevi moved his family to Seattle, USA. He started a new brand called Serevi Rugby Nation to help Pacific Islander players and run rugby training for young people. He also helped Central Washington University's rugby team. In 2013, he returned to Fiji as a trainer and assistant coach for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.

Life Outside Rugby

Waisale 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 support his rugby career and family. Serevi often spent time away from his family during his career, especially when he played in Japan.

Serevi is a very religious Christian. For every match, he writes "Philippians 4:13" on his boots or jersey. This refers to the Bible verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

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

In 2007, Serevi was appointed as a Special Inspector with the Fiji Police Force. His role was to help with youth and community policing.

Awards and Recognition

Serevi has received many honors for his contributions to rugby. 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, Serevi was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame, becoming the first Fijian to receive this honor. The chairman of World Rugby, Bernard Lapasset, said Serevi was an "exceptional player" who won the hearts of fans with his exciting style of play.

In 2024, Serevi was one of the first people to be inducted into the Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame.

Rugby 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 won the World Cup with Fiji in 1997 and 2005. He is the top points 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 competed in three Commonwealth Games: 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, 2002 in Manchester, and 2006 in Melbourne. He won silver medals with Fiji in 1998 and 2002, and a bronze medal in 2006. Serevi led Fiji to gold medals in both the 2001 World Games in Japan and the 2005 World Games in Germany.

IRB Sevens World Series

Serevi is the fourth-highest points scorer in the Sevens Series overall, with 1310 points (79 tries, 457 goals). The list below shows the tournaments he played in as a player, not including Hong Kong (which is listed separately). Years in bold mean Fiji won that 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 Fiji's results at the Hong Kong Sevens tournaments where Serevi played. This includes Rugby World Cup Sevens and IRB Sevens World Series events held in Hong Kong.

See also

In Spanish: Waisale Serevi para niños