Choice is hard - All Blacks jersey or gold, says Muliaina

It will be a tough choice, but young emerging players in New Zealand will have to decide between the dreams of an All Black jersey or a gold medal at the Olympics. Achieving both will be difficult, says 100-test legend Mils Muliaina.

'It will be the odd guy, the rare guy, who may be able to do both, but sevens has become a specialised game and I doubt players can do both. They will have to make a choice,' Muliaina said.

Returning to Hong Kong for the first time since appearing as a player in the New Zealand team which won the 2000 Hong Kong Sevens - his coach was still Gordon Tietjens - Muliaina turned out for the BGC APBs (formerly Asian-Pacific Barbarians) at the Hong Kong Football Club Tens last week. He kept his winning record in the city intact as the team, captained and coached by former All Black teammates Justin Marshall and Tana Umaga, won the tournament.

Today, Muliaina will be in the stands 'enjoying a few beers' and cheering on New Zealand as they make a bid to defend the Cup title. The outcome is uncertain, but what is clear in his mind is that the game has changed dramatically since his fleeting appearance.

'It's a totally different game,' he said. 'The skill sets are different and you need superior fitness levels.

'A good example will be Richie [McCaw, All Blacks captain] and D.J. [Forbes, who is captain of the Kiwi team here]. Both play similar positions, but at the same time, totally different positions when it comes to sevens and 15s.