Baber attempts to use the hardships associated with the pandemic as motivation for the Olympics

Team Fiji Men’s 7s Coach Gareth Baber has attempted to use the hardships associated with the pandemic as motivation for the Olympics, but admits this period has been the toughest of his coaching career.

Baber told World Rugby that being told they cannot go back and see their families, and that because of the spread of COVID in the country, that they are going to leave the country without having said your goodbyes to the family has been particularly difficult.

He says and, as a coaching staff, as a management group, they look for the opportunities in that — even though there may be pain in there — that helps develop and grow the resilience as a group.

COVID-19 restrictions in Fiji mean that by the time the team returns home at the end of Tokyo 2020 the squad will have been away from friends and family for 19 weeks.

The Fiji Men’s 7s team will begin their defence of the Olympic gold medal against Japan at 12pm next Monday and then play Canada at 8pm.

Fiji will play Great Britain at 12.30pm next Tuesday.

The quarterfinals will start at 8.30pm next Tuesday, the semi-finals will be played from 2pm next Wednesday while the final will be played at 9pm next Wednesday.