17 Nov 2015

Sport: Tonga sevens team hopeful for World Series boost

1:21 pm on 17 November 2015

The Tongan sevens coach Andy Katoa believes his team deserves to play at the Sydney and Wellington legs of the World Series and says proposed changes to the qualifying process would be a blow for Oceania.

Tonga finished runners-up behind Australia at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Auckland, producing the biggest upset of the weekend by thrashing Samoa 41-5 in the semi finals.

Tonga men's sevens coach Andy Katoa and his team debrief after losing the Oceania Championship final to Australia.

Tonga men's sevens coach Andy Katoa and his team debrief after losing the Oceania Championship final to Australia. Photo: RNZI / Vinnie Wylie

That was enough to keep alive their hopes of making it to Rio, and they will join Samoa at a final repechage event next year.

In the past their efforts would also have earnt them a spot at the New Zealand and Australian legs of the World Series but World Rugby has yet to confirm how those places will be allocated.

Andy Katoa has heard changes could be in store and thinks it would be a bad move.

"We were kind of in the notion that if we put ourself in this position that we would move onto those two right but I've heard rumours that they were going to bring on other teams to get them ready for the Olympics but why are we going to do that? This is an Oceania games, right? That's what we've been working hard for - we should be allowed to move on and get the experience and get more playing time through that process, because that's the way it's always been, so for them to change that now or if they're going to that would be sad because countries like ours we need to be playing".

Tonga have qualified for the Hong Kong Sevens and Andy Katoa says they also plan to keep busy by playing tournaments in Samoa and Fiji over the coming months.