november-2010

Kicking Goals
Fiji’s Coral Coast is all fi red up to welcome
the inaugural Coral Coast Rugby Sevens
tournament, which will kick off with
Fijian teams this year, but will likely turn
international within three years. Jay Whyte,
Chairman of Coral Coast Branding and
owner/founder of Sigatoka River Safaris,
shares his vision and love of the game.
What can spectators look forward to?
Arguably the best Sevens talent in the world
over two days in the picturesque surrounds of
Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, home to the Nadroga
Stallions Rugby Club, with fans showing their
passion in the carefree Fijian manner. We’ll
be having prizes for the best-dressed fans.
Are you a big fan of rugby yourself?
Yes, I am! While you’re here in Fiji, you
can’t help but be consumed by the people’s
absolute love for the game. Rugby is really a
uniting force here.
Do the Nadroga people have a special
rugby-playing style?
Nadroga is one of, if not the strongest unions
in Fiji with some of the greatest players
through the years. Fiji can lay claim to
making Sevens rugby the force that it is today
due to the Fijians’ athletic and non-scripted
style of playing the abbreviated form of the
game. Rugby is in the blood in Nadroga —
the people are born with a natural gift for it.
Every afternoon, just after 5pm, you’ll fi nd
children of all ages playing it.
What do you hope the event will do?
We hope to build a tremendous tournament
that solidifi es itself on Fiji’s sporting calendar
and the international sporting agenda, and
then ultimately with the IRB — Fiji should
really be hosting a leg of the IRB series
because it’s a major reason for the success of
the Sevens code.
Th e Coral Coast Rugby Sevens Tournament is on
19–20 November at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
Details on www.sevenspassion.com
6 NOVEMBER 2010
Loy Krathong
2010 Adelaide
International
Guitar Festival
19–21 NOV SINGAPORE
The Aff ordable Art Fair
Asia’s inaugural art fair will be a bonanza
of paintings, photography, sculptures and
street art. Check out the accessibly priced
artworks (S$100–10,000) of more than 60
galleries from Asia, Australia and Europe. F1
Pit Building, Marina South, 1 Republic Blvd.
Details on www.affordableartfair.sg
19–25 NOV BRISBANE SYDNEY
MELBOURNE PERTH
Summerbeatz 2010
Fans of Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Soulja Boy and
Travie McCoy need to act fast to secure tickets
to this hot music fest. With a gig by Australian
Idol winner Stan Walker, this aptly named
event is set to raise temperatures for four
hours. Tickets from Ticketek, tel: 132 849.
Pieta Brown (Mullum
Music Festival)
Crocosmia (2010
AWESOME International
Arts Festival for Bright
Young Things)
19–28 NOV PERTH
2010 AWESOME International Arts
Festival for Bright Young Things
This for-youth event in Perth’s CBD features
artistes from the Netherlands, USA, UK and
Australia. Highlights include the Netherlands’
Vincent de Rooij and his cool fi lm Track; and
Crocosmia by UK theatre troupe Little Bulb
Theatre. Mostly free. Tel: +61 (8) 9485 0560.
20–21 NOV BANGKOK
Loy Krathong
Known as the “festival of lights”, Loy Krathong
is celebrated nationwide, especially where
there are rivers, canals or sources of water.
During this spectacle, a “krathong” (raft) is
decorated and fl oated upon the water to pay
respect to the goddess of water, and apologise
for any misdeeds. Free at Chao Phraya River.