Fiji Airways men’s 7s coach Gareth Baber believes former skipper Jerry Tuwai still plays a vital role in the camp as they prepare for the Hamilton and Sydney tournaments.

Baber says Tuwai has come through a lot of negativity but has always stepped up and given his best performance for the national team.

“I keep supporting Jerry {Tuwai} because he is coming off from some heavy criticism. His still a captain and he is still doing exactly what he was doing last year. We just don’t put him in-front of the camera much. He is still doing the leadership element which is on the field.”

Tuwai has played 222 games, scored 509 points and 101 tries.

The Fiji 7s begins its campaign against Wales at 10.52am on Saturday week then faces Argentina at 2.42pm and plays Australia in its last pool match at 6.52pm.

The Cup quarter-final begins at 10.36am on Sunday, Cup semifinal starts at 3.16pm and the final is scheduled for 7.10pm.

You can watch the entire tournament live on FBC TV.