Waisale Serevi claimed J9 Foundation’s victory over CNCF Legends in the International Vets Final was his best win as he dedicated it to two titans of rugby.
The sevens legend was J9’s player-coach and couldn’t hide his emotions after the side finally lifted the trophy after successive defeats in two previous finals at the Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Their 24-12 win was the perfect tribute to J9 Foundation creator Joost Van der Westhuizen, the former South African player who is stricken by motor neuron disease, and friend and one of the legends of the game Jonah Lomu, who passed away two weeks ago.
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“I was so happy. It’s the best win at this stage of my career, especially to win it for Joost and Jonah. I’m glad we fulfilled that wish,” said Serevi.
“A lot of times we do stuff for ourselves, but this time we did it for other people. Like the two guys, we are warriors.
“The difference between us and the other teams is that they are a team and we are a family. We were together and we are on a mission.”
Remarkably, J9’s might have finished the tournament without conceding a point, but two late touchdowns by CNCF Legends tarnished this otherwise impressive statistic.
“It’s a tough weekend with all the games over such a short period of time but we managed well and played a great brand of rugby,” Serevi said.
“We proved after previous losses that we can be a strong team and it was great to go out and showcase our skills and win.”
In their six games this weekend, Serevi’s men racked up a staggering 221 points and conceded only 14.
After J9’s dominance at this level for the past three seasons – despite the previous two final defeats – Serevi is yet to confirm whether he will return to Dubai next year.
“I’m not getting any younger. I’m 48 next year. I would love to coach an under-18 team going forward and use my experience to help younger players develop and get the best out of themselves,” he said.
Asked if any team had tried to acquire his services, he responded: “I don’t know at the moment. I’m based in the US so my goal is to help rugby growth and I’m so proud to have this opportunity to assist young players.
“Coaching is something I’ve very passionate about so I want to continue getting the best out of players at different levels.”
