IT is mango season in Fiji but there was also a windfall for two local sevens clubs playing overseas.
Their whirlwind performances shook down the tree money in Central Coast and Borneo in the weekend.
Former national sevens forward Pio Tuwai and his younger brothers have again stamped their mark as one of the best, if not the best sevens combination in the country.
Westfield came away with the $20,000 prizemoney at the Central Coast Sevens while Samisoni Viriviri scored three tries as Davetalevu clipped the wings of Borneo Eagles in Sandakan, Borneo on Sunday.
They also came off with about $20,000, the equivalent of RN30,000 in Borneo currency.
Tuwai has been in fine form lately and while he has been part of the national sevens squad early this year, he has always missed out because of niggling injuries.
He has followed the criteria laid out by national coach Alifereti Dere to play fifteens rugby and he and the Westfield sevens team have been regular members of the Nadi rugby team under coach Tanivula this year.
It has improved their performance and the greatest test of his team's capabilities would have been a clash against the Wardens in Australia but it was not to be.
To prove their point, they went on to thrash Sunnybanks, the same side that beat the Wardens in the semi-finals.
Missing two goalkicks led to the defeat of the Wardens in the semi-final as both teams each scored three tries.
In Borneo, Nadroga club Davetalevu retained the Borneo Sevens title after trailing in the first-half.
Eagle playmaker, former Samoan national sevens skipper Uale Mai, was red-carded in the match.
He was earlier given a yellow card but argued with the referee, who turned red.
Viriviri and Ratunaisa Vatuinaruku came up with tries and Viriviri, a member of the winning national sevens team to the Gold Coast Sevens, scored a hat-trick.
Davetalevu players included: Ulaiasi Lawavou, Apisai Domolailai, Peni Ravai, Seva Nadruku, Eminoni Kakaca, Atu Kulavere, Sakiusa Gavidi, Naisa Vatuinaruku, Samisoni Viriviri, Aporosa Duwai, Maikeli Toga and Jim Momolevu.
Uale Mai, the International Rugby Board sevens player of the year in 2006, has turned villain as he matures.
He still comes up with brilliant plays but his temper has become brittle.
Injuries have taken their toll on his small frame and he has lost his youthful strength and speed. He will someday have to accept the fact that there is a time for everything.
In his latest HSBC Sevens Series showing last year he received a couple of yellow cards.
As age catches on the formerly Mr Cool of Samoan rugby, he may have to decide on whether to carry on or take up coaching because if he can no longer take the heat in top competitive sports, it would be wise to hang the boots.
He was awarded IRB Sevens Player of the Year not only because of his unique talents but because of the composure he went about using it. Any more red cards will have the IRB decision-makers regretting their decision.
Meanwhile, locally, national fitness trainer Nacanieli Cawanibuka has some interesting news from the fitness test results.
While the average beep test level of the past season was nine, this has improved to level 11.
We look forward to another exciting HSBC Sevens season as we build up for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.
Another three or four level up will be the aim now to peak at the world cup.
The minimum requirement for players taking part in the Super 14 competition is level 10 at the beginning of the season
Different coaches have different ways of setting their programs to peak at the right time.
Modern training methods can have players peaking several times in a season as the occasion requires and this goes with the different training they use.
Still at the beep test, the highest level is level 21 and you don't need that in rugby.
But a Swede soccer international Stig Hakan Mild holds the world record of 19.2 and someone told me that the likes of athletes like Sebastian Coe, who ran the 1500 metres under four minutes, can achieve level 21.
Coe, a former world champion runner, in now Sir Sebastian Coe and was chairman of the 2012 London Olympics organising committee
New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens seems to have his own plans for the RWC sevens and began at low key bringing in younger players to the Gold Coast Sevens. Winning the HSBC Series, RWC Sevens and Olympics in 2016 are all part of the long-term plan for the old fox. I am no Kiwi fan but I found myself cheering for DJ Forbes when he led his Counties Manukau side in the 2nd division ITM Cup final against Otago on Friday night.
Counties have over the years been the home of many Pacific Island rugby stars who went on to become All Blacks.
There was Luke Erenavula who played winger for Counties, represented NZ in sevens, represented Fiji in both sevens and 15s and member of Rupeni Ravonu's victorious 1997 RWC sevens team.
Then there was Jonah Lomu and Joeli Vidiri both began their rugby playing at wing for Counties. Counties, coached by Tana Umaga, displayed typical island style running rugby and they will be a force to reckon with when they go up 1st division next year.
Forbes led by example and was quite impressive at openside flanker.
Canterbury players were still celebrating wildly after beating Auckland in the ITM Division One final, despite having won five times in a row.
Auckland seemed to have had control of the game in the first-half but the champions slowly rolled into top gear as the game progressed.
The Flying Fijians leave our shores this week and we look forward to that Test against England at Twickenham next week Saturday November 10.
It is expected to be cold in London and if it does, we know that once we are focused, the temperature will be only skin deep.
We can only farewell you with Nadroga coach Esala Nauga's favourite line of "to play with ice in the head and fire in the belly".
Go Fiji Go.