FRANCE-based Metuisela Talebula and Avenisi Vasuinubu will be part of the 2013 Uprising International Sevens tournament in Lautoka later this month.
This was confirmed yesterday by Uprising Resort owner Rene Munch. The duo will be part of the Uprising team at the two-day event.
Talebula will return to his hometown for the first time since Tropical Cyclone Evan struck Lautoka last month. Vasuinubu and his elder brother Waisea Nayacalevu were identified by national coach Alifereti Dere at the same event last year.
Munch said the two former Digicel Fiji 7s players would be travelling from France to play in the tournament.
"Metuisela Talebula and Avenisi Vasuinubu will be playing in the tournament," Munch said.
"Talebula who is from Lautoka, will be playing in front of his home crowd and after the devastation of Cyclone Evan, Talebula's appearance would be greatly appreciated by fans and supporters and bring much needed joy and happiness to the Sugar City," Munch said in a Fiji Rugby Union statement.
The tournament, which is run identical to an IRB standard tournament in rules and regulations, will be held at Churchill Park from January 18-19.
The event will kick off the local 2013 sevens calendar after the FRU agreed to sanction the tournament. FRU's chief executive officer Manasa Baravilala met Munch and Uprising Resort operations manager James Pridgeon to resolve pending requirements that the tournament organisers had to fulfil in order for FRU to sanction the tournament.
"We are very excited and pleased to once again invite overseas teams and supporters to Fiji for this international tournament," Baravilala said in the FRU statement .
"The Uprising International 7s tournament has over the years proved itself and has always attracted top local and overseas teams and the feedback from international teams has always been positive and complementary."
Munch said he was pleased with the outcome.
"It was nice to sit down with FRU and resolve the requirements that we needed to fulfil.
"My team and I are looking forward to organising a great 2013 tournament," he said.