Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi was born on 20 May 1968 and is a Fijian former rugby union football player and coach, and is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
76 Facts About Waisale Serevi
2.
Waisale Serevi played professionally for the Mitsubishi, Leicester, Stade Montois, Stade Bordelais and Staines rugby teams.
3.
Waisale Serevi played in the 1993,1997,2001, and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens, winning the World Cup with Fiji in 1997 and 2005.
4.
Waisale Serevi won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and captured bronze in 2006.
5.
Waisale Serevi played in the International Rugby Board Sevens Series since its creation in 1999.
6.
In 2005 after winning the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens Waisale Serevi was appointed player-coach of the Fiji Sevens national team.
7.
The third of five children, Waisale Serevi was born in Suva, on the island of Viti Levu, on 20 May 1968.
8.
Waisale Serevi was raised by staunch Christian parents who were both heavily involved in the Church.
9.
Waisale Serevi missed watching the match, but decided to take up rugby after seeing how happy the victory made the people of Fiji.
10.
Waisale Serevi's family moved twice when he was a child, the second time settling in Suva where Serevi started secondary school.
11.
Waisale Serevi's schooling was unsuccessful however, and he failed his Fiji Junior Certificate Examination in 1984.
12.
Waisale Serevi was eventually selected to play for the senior provincial side when he was 17.
13.
In 1993 Waisale Serevi signed for the Mitsubishi team from Kyoto, Japan.
14.
Waisale Serevi continued to play for Mitsubishi until 1997 when he joined English club Leicester on a two-year contract.
15.
Waisale Serevi was first approached by Leicester after he played against them for a World XV at Twickenham in 1996.
16.
Waisale Serevi stayed at Leicester for only one season before moving to the French club Stade Montois in Mont-de-Marsan.
17.
Waisale Serevi continued there until joining Stade Bordelais in January 2004.
18.
In late 2004 Waisale Serevi joined London club Staines; making his debut in a victory against Thurrock in December that year.
19.
In 1987 Waisale Serevi was selected for the Fiji B team, and the following year he was selected for Fiji, playing against Wellington in New Zealand.
20.
Waisale Serevi played against France and Canada, losing both games.
21.
In 1996 Waisale Serevi was selected for his first Fiji game since 1993.
22.
Waisale Serevi was selected for seven games in 1996, including matches against South Africa and the New Zealand Maori.
23.
Waisale Serevi was continually selected throughout 1998, and played Tests against France, US, Australia, Tonga and Samoa.
24.
Waisale Serevi played two more matches for Fiji that season, including a win over the French Barbarians, in which Serevi was captain.
25.
Waisale Serevi returned in 1990 when Fiji won their first of three consecutive Hong Kong Sevens titles, and he again picked up player of the tournament after Fiji defeated New Zealand in the final.
26.
In 1992 Waisale Serevi was again named the player of the tournament.
27.
Waisale Serevi said that the team was working "sometimes nine hours a day" in preparation for the Sevens World Cup.
28.
Waisale Serevi was the equal top point scorer for the tournament.
29.
In 1995, Waisale Serevi captained Fiji to the Hong Kong Sevens final.
30.
Waisale Serevi scored three tries in their semi-final victory over Australia.
31.
Waisale Serevi finished the year by leading Fiji to victory in the Dubai Sevens.
32.
Waisale Serevi played for Fiji in the Japan and France sevens; the latter won by Fiji.
33.
Waisale Serevi missed this leg, but finished the year by leading Fiji to victory in the South Africa Sevens in Stellenbosch.
34.
Waisale Serevi then led Fiji in their first sevens tournament in New Zealand, at Wellington.
35.
Waisale Serevi then led Fiji to victory in the Brisbane leg of the series.
36.
Waisale Serevi started 2001 by leading Fiji in the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina.
37.
Waisale Serevi missed the 2001 Hong Kong Sevens, the first time he had missed the tournament in 12 years.
38.
Waisale Serevi was omitted from the team due to form, and the desire to develop new players for the 2004 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
39.
Fiji's coach at the time, Tomasi Cama, suggested Waisale Serevi had lost some pace and age was catching up with him.
40.
The first tournament of 2002 for Waisale Serevi was in Chile.
41.
Waisale Serevi played in the Brisbane, Wellington, and then Beijing Sevens before returning to Hong Kong.
42.
In Fiji's defeat of Australia in their quarter-final, Waisale Serevi scored 13 points to take his Hong Kong points tally over 1000.
43.
Later that year Waisale Serevi captained Fiji to the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
44.
Waisale Serevi did not represent Fiji in sevens in 2003, being controversially omitted from Fiji's Hong Kong Sevens squad.
45.
Waisale Serevi had been unable to return to Fiji for a fitness test and national tournament due to commitments with his club Stade Montois in France.
46.
Waisale Serevi then missed selection for the team to play in Hong Kong for the second year in a row.
47.
Waisale Serevi started the year by leading the Lomaiviti Barbarians in the Pacific 7s in Auckland, New Zealand.
48.
Waisale Serevi returned to Fiji, from his club Staines in England, in February that year in an attempt to play for Fiji in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
49.
On returning to Fiji, Waisale Serevi said "My goal is to go to the World Cup".
50.
Waisale Serevi finished the tournament as the World Cup's all-time leading points scorer and goal scorer, and the second highest all-time try scorer.
51.
In Fiji, celebrations of the win even included a specially composed song dedicated to Waisale Serevi named Na Noda Laione.
52.
In December 2006 Waisale Serevi was offered a coaching position with the Falcons, a South African side.
53.
Fiji's next tournament was Hong Kong where Waisale Serevi made a world record 18th appearance.
54.
Waisale Serevi scored the final try as Fiji defeated New Zealand in Hong Kong.
55.
Fiji won the following tournament at Adelaide, but only after a converted try by Waisale Serevi forcing extra time in their quarter final with South Africa.
56.
Waisale Serevi then coached Fiji to the final of the London leg, where they were defeated by New Zealand.
57.
On 6 July 2007, Waisale Serevi announced his resignation as coach of the national sevens team.
58.
At the time of the announcement, Waisale Serevi was in England receiving an honorary sports degree from Leeds Metropolitan University.
59.
Waisale Serevi clashed with the Fiji Rugby Union over being left out of player selection duties.
60.
Waisale Serevi used his experience in rugby to open a new brand, the Serevi Rugby Nation, to help pool funds for Pacific Islander players and run rugby training workshops for the youth.
61.
Waisale Serevi worked with the Old Puget Sound Rugby club, and helped Central Washington University qualify for the Collegiate Rugby Championships.
62.
Waisale Serevi returned in May 2013 to Fiji as a trainer at the London sevens and became assistant coach under Alivereti Dere for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.
63.
Waisale Serevi spent large parts of his career away from his family.
64.
Waisale Serevi was apart from them when in Japan between 1992 and 1997, although his family joined him in France between 1999 and 2004.
65.
Waisale Serevi is a committed Christian, and along with his family attends Church regularly.
66.
On his boots, strapping, and jersey for every match Waisale Serevi has the words "Philippians 4:13" written.
67.
Waisale Serevi learned Japanese while in Japan, and taught English whilst there.
68.
On 18 May 2007, Waisale Serevi was appointed a Special Inspector with the Fiji Police Force by the acting Commissioner of Police Romanu Tikotikoca.
69.
Waisale Serevi has been inducted into the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee's Hall of Fame in 2005, and was named the Fiji Times 2005 Personality of the Year.
70.
Waisale Serevi's presentation took place at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament that year.
71.
Waisale Serevi played in four Rugby World Cup Sevens.
72.
Waisale Serevi won the tournament with Fiji in 1997 and 2005, and is the overall top points scorer with 297 points.
73.
Waisale Serevi is the second-top try scorer with 21 tries.
74.
Waisale Serevi competed in three Commonwealth Games; Kuala Lumpur in 1998, Manchester in 2002, and Melbourne in 2006.
75.
Waisale Serevi led Fiji to gold in both the 2001 World Games in Japan, and the 2005 World Games in Germany.
76.
Waisale Serevi is the series' fourth highest points scorer overall with 1310 points.