D.J. Forbes has been to Hong Kong so many times he joked yesterday it might be better if he had a permanent home here. It's no joke he has won a permanent place in Hong Kong Sevens folklore as a leader who does all his talking where it matters - on the pitch.
And New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens is grateful for that.
'I have a fantastic leader in D.J. who just leads by the way he plays,' Tietjens said soon after the Kiwis finished yesterday's training session at So Kon Po. 'He demands a lot of respect among all the teams and he leads the team right from the front.
'He is such an inspiration to the other players and is one of the contributing factors in why my team is winning at the moment,' Tietjens added. New Zealand, who top the HSBC Sevens World Series standings, have won two legs, and reached four out of five finals.
But Forbes' leadership skills will be tested to the limits this weekend with seven of the 12-man squad appearing for the first time in Hong Kong. Of this number, only one - Lolagi Visinia - will be winning his first sevens cap this season with the other six having played at one point or another this season.
Forbes, Tomasi Cama, Lote Raikabula, Bryce Heem and Tim Mikkelson are old hands at the stadium, and Tietjens believes they will all have to play a huge role in being a calming influence on the rest.