Jerry Tuwai (left) and Head Coach Osea Kolinisau

When Jerry Tuwai first joined the national squad in 2014, Osea Kolinisau was one of the first that greeted him.

A decade later, Tuwai will captain Fiji 7s into their third Olympic Games with Kolinisau as coach.

The pair were part of the side that won Fiji’s first Olympic Games gold medal in Brazil in 2016.

Kolinisau says both have been there and done it but now they have different roles to play as Fiji hunts for its third successive gold.

‘The boys call him (Jerry) Commander in training so when he’s ordering some of the young boys around, I’ll call him and tell him to get me something, and he’ll say, hey I’m a senior player now, I’m old now, I replied you’ll always be small Jerry to me because I’ve always looked after you when you first joined the team and he just laughs and walks away’.

Our double Olympic gold medalist, Tuwai, is thankful for the freedom that Kolinisau has given him as captain.

Coach Kolinisau has also seen a major shift in camp with players lifting their performances since Tuwai returned.

‘It’s been nice having Jerry in the team someone who knows what I want and the standard I want and he’s at the forefront pushing it and we can see the difference in having Jerry’.

Tuwai will lead the side tomorrow morning against Uruguay at 3:30 am.

Kolinisau has also named Iosefo Masi as the vice-captain.