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Members of Leeds Metropolitan University Sevens team will be the envy of professional and amateur rugby players the world over this weekend, when the greatest of them all, Waisale Serevi joins their side as part of his farewell to the game at Scotland’s Melrose Sevens.

Sevens maestro Serevi was approached by Melrose officials about the possibility of turning out at ‘Greenyards’ at the Roma 7 last year. He expressed keenness to play citing how appropriate it would be to bow out playing at the birthplace of the game – the final piece of his sevens jigsaw.

Serevi has strong ties with the University after he was recently awarded an honorary doctorate and regularly takes an active role in their coaching structure and scouting duties.

Ian Larkin, Carnegie Scholar, MSc Sport: “I’m very excited to be selected for the Melrose squad as it’s a great honour and privilege to play with the greatest sevens player of all time Waisale Serevi. We have been training hard and are looking to put in a good performance at Melrose.”

Colin Stephens, Former Welsh International and Leeds Met Carnegie's Director of Rugby said,

“I was just speaking to the squad following our training session today saying how jealous I was of them not only to be able to play in the Melrose Sevens live in front of a television audience but to be involved in a squad of players playing with sevens legend Waisale Serevi in his last ever sevens tournament.

“Having only finished out the University BUCS season a couple of weeks ago the team has had to work hard in specialist sevens training and conditioning sessions to make the adjustment from the 15-a-side game. This will truly be a once in a life time experience for all the student rugby players involved.”

The University has a strong sporting breed winning both the 'Coaching Environment of the Year’ award and is the home for the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence. It is in partnership with Leeds Carnegie Rugby and Leeds Rhinos Rugby League, whilst being the primary partner of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

The Melrose Sevens tournament follows on from a successful season for the Leeds Met finishing fourth in the BUCS North Premier Division and reaching the quarter finals of the BUCS Championship knock out competition losing to UWE Hartpury, a feeder club to Gloucester RFC who have made it to the final of the competition. The women’s team won the BUCS Premier League and are preparing for the BUCS championship final at Twickenham against UWIC on the 22 April having beaten Loughborough University 29-0 in the Semi finals.

Serevi’s stellar career started in 1989 when he played for Fiji at the Hong Kong Sevens. He played in the 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens, winning the World Cup with Fiji in 1997 and 2005. He won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and captured bronze in 2006. Serevi has played in the International Rugby Board Sevens Series since its creation in 1999. In 2005 after winning the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens Serevi was appointed the Fiji Sevens team's coach.

Here he also excelled, leading Fiji to victory in the IRB Sevens World Series in 2006, the first time in its history that the New Zealand team was beaten in the series.

It’s not the first time the Fijian legend has represented the University though. In August 2008 the multi-talented Serevi played Rugby League in the Leeds Metropolitan University organised Carnegie Floodlit Nines, showing that he's never one to turn down a new challenge.

UR7S will be reviewing all the action and results from the Melrose Sevens at Greenyards.