The Fiji national rugby sevens team has competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Olympics. Fiji won the gold medal in the inaugural rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics in 2016 in Brazil, the country's first Olympic medal in any event, and repeated as Olympic champions in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, defeating New Zealand.[1] Fiji would fall short from winning gold for a third straight time in 2024 after a defeat in the final to hosts France. Overall, Fiji are the only national rugby sevens team in the world to have won the Sevens Treble (the Olympics, Sevens Series, and World Cup), the three major achievements in Sevens. They have won multiple World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Fiji Sevens is watched and enjoyed by fans around the world for its style of play — the "Flying Fijians" play with Fijian flair.[2] Their passing and offloads can be unorthodox for traditional rugby coaching, and more similar to basketball style.[3]
History
The International Rugby Board (IRB) expanded the sevens rugby competition to become a series of 11 tournaments around the world. The debt the FRU incurred from the 2000 sevens series was significant. At the end of December 2000, the FRU was burdened with accumulated losses of F$933,306. Fiji appealed to the IRB for funding, arguing that the sevens tournament was built around Fiji and they would not be able to participate without such funding. From that appeal flowed participation funds that enabled the islands teams to play in the World Sevens Series fully funded. By the end of November 2001, the FRU was sitting on a surplus of F$560,311 compared with the previous year's net loss of F$675,609.
The FRU again ran out of money in 2013 to support the national sevens team. The IRB had temporarily suspended funding due to concerns with FRU financial management and governance. The head coach went unpaid for months, another staff was terminated, and the team lacked funds for basic supplies such as rugby balls and bottled water.[4]
Waisale Serevi is highly regarded as the best player ever in sevens rugby. Nicknamed the "maestro", played in this side from 1989 to 2006 leading them to countless tournament victories, two Sevens World Cups in 1997 and 2005.
World Rugby Sevens Series
Summary
| Rank |
Times |
Seasons
|
| 1st |
4 |
2005–06, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–2019
|
| 2nd |
6 |
1999–2000, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2017–18
|
| 3rd |
9 |
2000–01, 2002–03, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
|
| 4th |
5 |
2001–02, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
|
| Total |
24 |
|
Fiji has won the World Rugby Sevens Series four times — first in 2005–06, and most recently in 2018–19. Fiji is one of only two teams — along with New Zealand — to finish in the top four of the World Series every season since its inception.
Quadrennial tournaments
Summer Olympics
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Commonwealth Games
Tournament Victories
- World Sevens Series Winners (2005–06, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19)
- Summer Olympics Gold (2016, 2020)[10]
- Rugby World Cup Sevens Champions (1997, 2005,2022)[11]
- Commonwealth Games: Silver (1998, 2002, 2018,2022); Bronze (2006)
- Hong Kong Sevens Winners (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- World Games Gold (2001, 2005, 2009)
- Pacific Games Gold (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2019)
- Darwin Hottest Sevens Winner (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- Oceania Sevens Winners (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021)[12]
- Gala Sevens Winner (1991)
- Australia Sevens Winners (2000, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2020)
- USA Sevens Winners (2007, 2015, 2016)
- Singapore Sevens Winners (2006, 2018)
- Scotland Sevens Winners (2009, 2015)
- Mar de Plata Winners (2000, 2002)
- New Zealand Sevens Winners (2000, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2019)
- South Africa Sevens Winners (1999, 2002, 2005, 2018)
- London Sevens Winners (2006, 2012, 2018, 2019)
- Dubai Sevens Winners (2013, 2015)
- Japan Sevens Winners (1995–97, 2000, 2014)
Players
Current squad
The following players have been selected to represent Fiji during the 2023–24 SVNS tournament beginning in December 2023.
Note: Caps reflect the total number of SVNS events competed in as of the 2023 Dubai Sevens.
Records and statistics
Olympic squads
Player records
The following section lists player records from the World Rugby Sevens Series. Players in bold are still active.
Award winners
The following Fiji Sevens players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2004:[14]
In addition to the players listed above, other notable players include:
Head coaches
| Coach
|
Tenure
|
Note
|
| Gareth Baber
|
2016–21
|
Baber has won the most tournaments by a Fiji 7s coach and has coached the side to their 4th World Series Title in 2019. In addition, Baber also coached the Fiji 7s side to victory by bringing the country's second gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
|
| Ben Ryan
|
2013–16
|
Ryan coached the Fiji 7s side to 2 back-to-back world series titles and the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
|
| Alifereti Dere
|
2010–13
|
|
| Waisale Serevi
|
2005–07; 2008–09
|
Serevi coached/played in the side from 2005 to 2007 guiding Fiji to their first World Sevens Series title in the 2005–2006 season.
|
| Pauliasi Tabulutu
|
2004–06
|
|
| Wayne Pivac
|
2005
|
|
| Etuate Waqa
|
|
|
| Ratu Kitione Vesikula
|
|
|
| Rupeni Ravonu
|
|
|
| Peni Veidreyaki
|
|
|
| Alifereti Cawanibuka
|
|
|
| Tomasi Cama
|
2001
|
|
| Josateki Sovau
|
1987
|
|
| Sanivalati Laulau
|
|
|
| Timoci Wainiqolo
|
|
|
See also
Bibliography
- McLaren, Bill A Visit to Hong Kong in Starmer-Smith, Nigel & Robertson, Ian (eds) The Whitbread Rugby World '90 (Lennard Books, 1989)
References
- ^ "Fiji beats New Zealand to clinch back-to-back Olympic titles". AP. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
- ^ "Rugby Sevens final: Team GB thrashed 43-7 as Fiji win their first-ever Olympic medal", Telegraph, Daniel Schofield, 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Q&A: Ben Ryan on life after becoming an Olympic legend – and Fijian chief – as coach of the island’s gold-medal rugby team", South China Morning Post, James Porteous, 15 October 2016.
- ^ "No Money, No Problem for Fiji Rugby Sevens Team", New York Times, Emma Stoney, March 28, 2014.
- ^ "Fiji secure back-to-back titles after day one in London", Telegraph, Oliver Pickup, 21 May 2016.
- ^ "Fiji storms to sevens gold, claiming first-ever Olympic medal", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 August 2016.
- ^ "A potted history of sevens at the Commonwealth Games", WorldRugby.org, 6 April 2018.
- ^ "Fiji suspended from 2010 Commonwealth Games", Herald Sun, Julie Tullberg, October 12, 2009.
- ^ "Fiji drops Games boycott threat", news.com.au, March 27, 2014.
- ^ "Fiji storms to sevens gold, claiming first-ever Olympic medal", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12 August 2016.
- ^ "How Fiji Sevens’ Waisale Serevi and his band of ‘schoolchildren’ took the Hong Kong 1997 World Cup home", South China Morning Post, Sam Agars, 18 July 2018.
- ^ "Fiji storm to victory in Oceania Sevens in Noosa with victory over New Zealand in the final", Ultimate Rugby Sevens, Nick Jordan, 4 October 2014.
- ^ World Rugby
- ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
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