Jerry Kilicanasau stars for UAE in Asia Rugby Sevens Series

Matt Jones - Editor 11:11 23/02/2016
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  • Jerry Kilicanasau.

    By his own admission he was the “tour baby” but Al Ain Amblers back Jerry Kilicanasau came of age during his senior UAE international bow in India last weekend.

    Kilicanasau only turned 18 in December but showed no signs of trepidation on the international stage as he scored an incredible nine tries in six games for Apollo Perelini’s men at the Asia Rugby Development Sevens Series in Chennai.

    Despite his virtuoso performances on the field, off it Kilicanasau is supremely humble, praising the

    influence of his team-mates – or “big brothers” as he refers to them – and how they helped him with a warm welcome to the squad.

    “I felt a bit of pressure at first, going into the tournament,” said the Fiji-born teenager, who first came to prominence playing for the UAE Under-20’s against Hong Kong in 2014 aged just 15.

    “I thought it was going to be more difficult with the men than the U-20’s, but after the first game I was feeling more confident.

    “The older players made me feel welcome. They were like my older brothers, especially Imad (Reyal), Ovey (Ian Overton) and Niall (Statham), who would talk to me as captain. I was the tour baby.

    “It was a bit daunting at first. This is men’s rugby and I’m only 18. It was a very special experience for me, playing with the other players that I didn’t really know before.”

    Former Global English School pupil Kilicanasau has applied to study audio production and film-making at Dubai’s SAE Institute and put together quite the highlight reel in Chennai, scoring seven tries on the opening day, including a brace in the UAE’s opening 41-0 defeat of Nepal. He touched down again in the 24-14 loss to the Philippines and rounded off the first day with four tries in the 69-5 demolition of Syria, also adding two more on day two in the 38-21 third/fourth place defeat to the Philippines.

    “It was a good start to my UAE career with nine tries, but I’ve got a lot to live up to now. It was a surprise to score that many but it was down to the work of my team-mates,” added Kilicanasau, who has lived in the UAE with his family for 15 years.

    Despite a fabulous 2015-16 season so far, which included a stunning 21-19 win in the final of the Gulf U-19’s section at December’s Dubai Rugby Sevens for Amblers against Dubai College, he wasn’t in Perelini’s initial squad, although he certainly grabbed his chance.

    “I was surprised by my call-up because Hassan Al Noobi (Abu Dhabi Saracens) was supposed to go but had visa problems,” he said. “I was really happy, but I had no idea. I went to the gym then checked my phone after and had a text from Apollo saying he was taking me.”

    Kilicanasau’s sparkling individual performance was somewhat overshadowed by the UAE’s disappointing fourth-place finish, which leaves them with an uphill task to qualify for the 2016 Asia Rugby Sevens Series later this year.

    The Amblers prospect, however, is urging his team-mates to put aside their Chennai woes and concentrate on winning the second and  final leg of the series which comes to the Garden City this weekend.

    “We have to forget about what happened in Chennai and move on,” said Kilicanasau. “We need to focus on this weekend and show what we can do. We can still qualify for the ARSS and we have to remember this. Those have been the words of Apollo and hopefully we will win it and qualify for the series.”

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