Chennai Bulls make history this week as the first Indian team to compete at the McDonald’s Coral Coast Sevens in Sigatoka, marking a significant milestone for Indian rugby on one of the sport’s most respected stages.
The Bulls are led by former Fiji Airways Fiji 7s head coach Ben Gollings, who has returned to familiar territory with a Select side focused on long-term development rather than short-term results.
Gollings told FBC the Coral Coast Sevens offered an ideal environment to expose emerging players to elite-level competition in the heartland of sevens rugby.
“It’s great to be back in Fiji and exciting to be bringing the Chennai Bulls,” he said. “This is a Select team, not our mainstream squad, and we’re using the tournament as a development platform as we continue to build our rugby programme.”
The squad features four Indian national team players, selected local talent and Australian-based Peni Naqua, who has joined the side from the Western Force. Gollings said the tournament would provide invaluable exposure for players stepping up to the international level.
“There’s no better place than Fiji to test and grow sevens players,” he said, adding that performance outcomes would be secondary to player development.
Off the field, the Bulls’ visit has strengthened ties with Ba Rugby Union, with the partnership described as a key boost ahead of the 2026 season. Ba Rugby Union secretary Gaby Kautoga said the collaboration would support grassroots growth and player pathways.
As part of the exchange, the Gollings-coached side will conduct a sevens coaching clinic for Ba’s junior players at Ba Methodist High School, followed by a team training session in preparation for the weekend’s tournament.
“This is something big for us going into 2026,” Kautoga said. “We are planning a sevens programme this year, and having Chennai Bulls involved is a major boost. Two of our players will also feature with the club.”
Ba Rugby duo Ponipate Bacaivalu and Meli Tuvusa from the Vinod Patel Ba Skipper Cup team are set to line up for the Chennai Bulls at the Coral Coast Sevens, while the visitors will also lead clinics for Ba’s under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-18 players, including a scrimmage with the under-18s.
Kautoga said the partnership could help spark renewed interest in rugby in Ba, particularly within the Indo-Fijian community, while opening doors to future exchange programmes linked to education and academies.
The McDonald’s Coral Coast Sevens gets under way this weekend in Sigatoka, with the Chennai Bulls Select using their historic Fiji appearance as a springboard for the next phase of their international rugby journey.
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