One of the greatest rugby sevens players the world has ever seen will lead Bermuda in their bid to qualify for next year’s Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

Waisale Serevi, who won two sevens world cups with Fiji during a glittering international career, takes over from Tom Healy for the Rugby Americas North Sevens Tournament in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad this weekend..

Serevi has helped develop Bermuda’s male and female rugby players since 2011 through a partnership sponsored by XL Catlin, which sees the Fijian legend and his team from Atavus Rugby visit the island’s schools and national team camps three times per year.

Healy, who has been the island’s player-coach for the past four years, will now be able to fully concentrate on matters on the field as part of a team captained by Tashon De Silva, who led the side at the 2014 CAC Games and 2016 RugbyTown 7s.

Drawn against tournament favourites Canada and the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda are expected to qualify for the Cup quarter-finals for the third time in a row, where they should face either Mexico or Trinidad & Tobago. A top-three finish will see Bermuda qualify for the prestigious Hong Kong event.

Bermuda finished seventh at the 2014 NACRA Sevens tournament in Mexico City after losing in the quarter-finals to Barbados in sudden-death extra time. Improving performances since then include beating Mexico to retain the Shield at the 2015 RugbyTown 7s in Glendale, Colorado and an emphatic win over Kutztown University to take third place at the 2016 Ariel Re Sevens on home soil last March.

Joining the dynamic De Silva in the forwards will be the considerable presence of Aldo Campbell, Patrick Calow, Bertie Horsfield and Somers Brewin.

Brewin has proven to be a valuable asset in recent years with his tireless support running and determined graft at the breakdowns.

Dan Cole, the fly half, returns for his second regional tournament, after great performances over the past two seasons at the RugbyTown Sevens, and the World Rugby Classic with the Classic Lions.

Antonio Perinchief, Corey Boyce, Andre Landy and 12-year veteran Neville Zuill add genuine speed to the squad, which has too often been lacking in previous Bermuda Sevens teams.

Landy flies in from Vancouver, where he has been developing into a top-class player with UBC Old Boys, notably beating Serevi’s Seattle Saracens in the final of the 2016 Vancouver Sevens.

Jacques DeVerteuil, who also represents Bermuda at volleyball and squash, played for Bermuda’s Under-19s in July after an impressive season with Warwick Academy.

DeVertueil is particularly excited to be making his senior Bermuda rugby debut in Trinidad, in front of friends and family, as his father, Marc, is from Pointe-a-Pierre.

CedarBridge Academy graduate Mikel Dill made his mark at the 2016 ArielRe Sevens, finishing as the tournament’s top try scorer including the extra-time winner against Kutztown University in the third-place play-off game.

Dill went on to represent Bermuda’s national XV’s side in the 2019 RWC Qualifier against the Bahamas at the end of last season, and will be attending the Stellenbosch Rugby Academy in South Africa next year.

The Bermuda Rugby Football Union is extremely grateful to partners Sol Petroleum, who’s financial support as sponsors of the Men’s Sevens team has provided new playing kit and helped reduce travel and accommodation costs for Bermuda’s representatives at the tournament in Trinidad on Saturday and Sunday

SQUAD

Bermuda: Tashon DeSilva (Captain), Tom Healy (vice-captain), Corey Boyce, Somers Brewin, Patrick Calow, Aldo Campbell, Dan Cole, Jacques De Verteuil, Mikel Dill (Reserve), Bertie Horsfield, Andre Landy, Antonio Perinchief, Neville Zuill. Head Coach: Waisale Serevi. Team Manager: Darren Woods. Physiotherapist: Bruno Teixeira.