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Tikoisuva In Fiji Camp
Although the U.S. Youth Olympic team missed out on a medal in Nanjing this year they did have a few players show well. One of those players was young Jojo Tikoisuva. A veteran of the High School All-Americans tour to Argentina Tikoisuva grew up in the Sacramento area where he represented NorCal in All-Star competition. He also recently went with the Stars Rugby 7s to the Central Coast 7s. Now it appears that he's been invited to tryout for the Fjian national 7s team.
Just to be picked to train and try out for fijians national sevens team ... It's just a dream come true for me
— JojoTikoisuva (@jtikoisuva) November 20, 2014Take the jump to read more.Today was really hard training with the Fiji rugby 7s team preping for Dubai but todays scrimmage was fun playing with the boys
— JojoTikoisuva (@jtikoisuva) November 20, 2014Obviously there is a difference between trying out and making the Fijian 7s team. The U.S. has this same process of trying out different players. However, it has to be concerning that a player that has come up through the U.S. age grade system could potentially play for another country. It's definitely a situation to keep an eye on.
NACRA 7s Update
The NACRA 7s will be held this year in Mexico City on December 3rd and 4th. However, unlike in year's past there will be no U.S. participation. That's not because the U.S. wasn't interested in making the trip but TIAR has learned that NACRA asked the U.S. and Canada not to participate this year. That makes sense in many ways. The last few years have seen the U.S. and Canada send their developmental teams and run away with the competition. By removing them on the men's and women's side you take away some of the headline names of the competition but also make it more competitive.
The tournament also runs at a very difficult time for both the U.S. and Canada with only two days separating the NACRA 7s from the Dubai 7s. Logistically it was nearly impossible. Now the men's competition will have 12 teams while the women's competition will have eight teams. Mexico now become the favorite to win.
Men's Competition
Pool A: Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Jamaica, Mexico B
Pool B: Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, St. Lucia
Pool C: Mexico, Guyana, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent & Grenadines
Women's Competition
Pool A: Mexico, Bermuda, Jamaica, The Bahamas
Pool B: Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, Trindad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos