Sevens rugby

The Japanese Rugby Football Union announced that next month's Asia Sevens Invitational, which was to double as a test event for rugby sevens at the  2020 Games, has been cancelled due to concerns over the spreading of the deadly virus.

Organisers are now hoping to reschedule the rugby sevens test event at some stage when the situation is more safe.

Rugby sevens made its Olympics debut at the last Games at Rio 2016.

Sevens was to be one of two sports featuring Tahitian athletes in Port Vila, after the French Polynesian government opted to boycott the event and not support the team.

Pacific Games Council CEO Andrew Minogue said they were expecting the team to arrive in Vanuatu on Thursday before being informed they weren't coming at all.

RNZ reports the Manu finished in ninth place last season, their first under new coach Damian McGrath.

The squad reached the quarter finals or better at four of ten tournaments, highlighted by victory in the penultimate round in Paris.

Captain Falemiga Selesele was named in the Series Dream Team while Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa was nominated for Rookie of the Year.

But Damian McGrath said both players are unlikely to return.

RNZ reports New Zealand suffered one of the biggest upsets in sevens history when they were beaten 14-12 by Japan.

In a double blow for the team Sonny Bill Williams has been ruled out of the tournament with a partial Achilles rupture. He has been replaced by Sione Molia.

Joe Webber also left the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder.

The New Zealanders struggled to get possession in the first half of the pool match against Japan - with the score 7-7 at half time - and Japan defended well after the break.

His persona however could not be more polar opposite, a classic example of the elite sportsman on the pitch and the genuinely humble man off it, a bit of a trend on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. 

World Rugby caught up with Selesele on the back of his showcase performance in Hong Kong, where he was voted into the prestigious Dream Team after continually impressing across the three days. Samoa may have only made it into the Bowl semi-final at the tournament, a step back since winning the Plate in Vancouver, but Selesele was happy with how he played.

It's been a sensational first half to the 2015-16 series with Fiji, South Africa and New Zealand sharing the five Cup titles on offer, with the three sides separated by just nine points at the top of the standings following Ben Ryan's side's second Cup win of the season in Las Vegas.

The Manu finished a disappointing 13th at the Las Vegas tournament over the weekend, despite a stunning victory over eventual champions Fiji in their opening match.

Their cause wasn't helped by a stomach bug that swept through the team prior to the tournament, affecting six players, while captain Falemiga Selesele and Tila Mealoi were concussed on day one.

"We are a fast improving team who are developing all the time. If we stay fit we will be hard to stop," he added.

And the Namuka-i-Lau native aims to make amends at the Cake Tin after he and Semi Kunatani let the team down last year.

This was after they were cited for dangerous tackles in their final pool match against Australia which resulted in the duo missing out in the quarterfinal against England. Fiji lost 26-21 but bounced back to win the Plate title defeating Australia 24-0.

Kolinisau admitted yesterday this was the downfall of the team last year.

Samoa struggled for numbers last month, finishing Dubai with 11 players and just nine fit bodies at the end of the Cape Town tournament.

Damian McGrath says the squad only had a short break and trained hard over Christmas and New Year but aside from Francis Ieremia and Fetufoa Setu Laga, who have long term injuries, everyone is available for selection.