32nd Marist 7's Tournament 2008

Marist Seven's 30th Annivesary 2006 Speech from Libby (daughter of the late mr.george reade, founder marist and fiji seven's)

I was touched when asked by the Marist Rugby Club Executive to contribute to this programme celebrating the 30th Annivesary of the Marist Sevens in Fiji and do so with much pleasure.

Rugby, through the Marist Club in particular, has been an intergral part of the Reade family's life. From an early age, our Dad, the late George Reade, was happy to have my sisters and I follow him around the various grounds on a Saturday afternoon where the Marist Club teams would be playing as part of the Saturday, Suva rugby Union competition. As we grew up, he involved us in Club activities but the one thing that he could not persuade us to do was to play in the Marist womens seven's team when invited by the late Setareki Tamanivalu do do so!
Rugby was in Dad's blood. As a young man, he was a member of the Albion Rugby Club and in later years, a referee in the Suva Rugby competition and a rugby administrator. From early on, he saw the value of rugby in bringing young men together and used it especially to gather together young Catholic men, many of whom were unemployed and with spare time on their hands, but not to the exclusion of others.
All his rugby life, Dad's philosophy was that the development of Fiji rugby would only attain its destined height, if Club rugby is given its due recognition. It gave him the greatest joy when players from this Club were selected for national duty and this was always acknowledged by the Club with words of encouragement and a small envelope.
Aside from the enjoyment and excitement of the abbreviated game, he saw seven's rugby as a means for rugby clubs to obtain much-needed finance, either as hosts of tournaments of as winners of competitions. It is pleasing to note that the Marist Seven's continues to be the biggest club organized seven's in Fiji. The Marist Sevens has carved its name in the annals of fiji's rugby as it continues to ensure representation in the competition of clubs from outside of Suva and especially form the islands, something that was intended from the start. The 'find' of the tournament was always an exciting prospect.

The tournaments' success over the years has been the result of an ongoing and fruitful partnership between and Club and Carlton Brewery, the Sportman's Beer which has been there from the very start. Vinaka vakalevu Carlton Brewery.

May I, on behalf of my sister, Margaret and Felicia, congratulate the Marist Club for its commitment to thirty years of seven's rugby and may I wish the 30th Marist Seven's Tournament, every success. To the players, referees, ball-boys, water carriers, coaches, managers and supporters and those behind the scenes, may you enjoy a weekend of fantastic, rewarding seven's rugby in the true spirit of sportsmanship.