Nathan Hirayama retires from sevens rugby [Source: Olympics.com]

Canada rugby star Nathan Hirayama recalled the moment he met 7s King Waisale Serevi while announcing his retirement from the sport.

Hirayama on an Instragram post on Wednesday reflected on his 7s journey playing for Canada and the words of Serevi when he was just 18-years-old.

He wrote, the world 7s legend told him he had a minimum of 20 years left in his rugby career and he couldn’t be more than thankful for the support, development and opposition from rival teams.

Hirayama said he looks forward to supporting the next generation of rugby players both here in Canada and around the world.

Hirayama was Canada’s playmaker in sevens, as well as its kicker.

He collected 1,859 points on the World Series, including 147 tries.

That ranks him 15th all-time in tries scored and number one among Canadians, two ahead of Justin Douglas.

He also won 23 caps with the Canadian 15s side between 2008 and 2015, including six games at the Rugby World Cup.

 

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A post shared by Nate Hirayama (@nhirayama10)

Meanwhile, you can watch the HSBC Vancouver 7s next Saturday and Sunday, live on FBC TV and FBC Sports channels.