How the Fijian Giants dominate the Olympics
The Fiji Islands are smaller than Saxony. But when it comes to Rugby Sevens, the South Pacific Archipelago is the nonplusultra. The men have won gold in Rio and Tokyo each time - and are aiming for a hat-trick in Paris.
It was loud. Very loud at Stade de France. These Olympic Games of Paris will officially begin on Friday evening, but the first atmospheric peak came on Thursday afternoon - during the group match between France and the Fiji Islands in Rugby Sevens. The ambitious Olympic host against the two-time Olympic champions - voila.
"Allez les bleus" echoed through the arena. The stadium announcer spoke of a "big, big game". Nearly 70,000 fans wanted to be there. France is bluffing, thanks to the home advantage, about a medal. The Fiji Islands want to win gold for the third time.
Since 2016, this abbreviated version has been part of the Olympic program. It is more exciting, faster, and therefore more entertaining than traditional rugby. As the name suggests, it is played with seven players - not 15. Therefore, there is always action on the grass. The match duration is two times seven minutes. With a break, a game lasts around 20 minutes.
Impressive record: 15 games, 15 wins
France played, fiercely supported by their own fans, well. And France led after four minutes 5:0. But even France, with a good performance, had to leave as losers, losing 12:19. This is how it has gone for all opponents who have measured themselves against the Fiji Islands at the Olympics.
In the admittedly short Olympic history of this sport, the 332-island South Pacific Archipelago, which covers an area of 18,274 square kilometers (slightly smaller than Sachsen, with 18,449 square kilometers), has won all the games as the only nation. Six wins in 2016 in Rio, six wins in 2021 in Tokyo - and on the first two days of this Olympic tournament, four more victories have been added (Update 10:30 pm: the team won the quarterfinals against Ireland in the late evening with a narrow 19:15 lead).
Eight years ago in Rio, Kolisinau was still on the field himself - and the team's star. The Fiji Islands won the final against pitiful Britons 43:7. It was the first medal ever in the history of the 900,000-inhabitant nation, which first sent athletes to Olympic Games in 1956.
Vijay Singh was the sports ambassador of the country for many years. The golfer (nickname: the big Fijian, because of his 1.88-meter body height) won the Masters in Augusta in 2000, as well as two victories (1998, 2004) at the PGA Championship. Through his second triumph, Singh displaced Tiger Woods from the top of the Golf World Ranking on September 5, 2004. In total, the 62-year-old was the ranking leader for 32 weeks.
In Rio, they won on average with 16 points
Through the Olympic Games, Fiji's Rugby Sevens team has received the largest global stage since Rio. Kolisinau and Co. won their games on average with a 16-point lead in Rio, in Tokyo it was 15.2 points. They never had to tremble. The closest victory was a 12:7 in the quarterfinals in 2016 against New Zealand.
"Rugby Sevens is our sport," says Akuila Cama in an interview with ntv.de. He is standing in the Mixed-Zone of Stade de France and interviews Fiji's players after their win against France for national television. At home, it was already 1:30 AM on a Friday when the game began. Nevertheless, as Cama notes, "everyone was definitely there" and watched the game. "These are the Olympic Games, it means so much for us," emphasizes the journalist.
The team's star is Jerry Tuwai. The 35-year-old scored the equalizing try against France. He is the only player who was there for Fiji's wins at the Olympics in Rio and Tokyo. And he was named the "Rugby Sevens player of the decade" - not in his homeland, but worldwide. Tuwai comes from Newtown, a poor suburb of Suva. Since Rugby equipment was too expensive for his family, he had to improvise as a child and teenager, using empty water bottles or tied-together T-shirts as balls. As a teenager, Tuwai often went fishing with his father, a fisherman, and sold the catch on the street afterward. "Hard work," he says today.
On his shoes, he had the same message at the Stade de France that day: "Messer und Gabel" (knife and fork). His mother had given him these words when she and his financially struggling parents had finally saved enough money to buy him Rugby shoes. "This is your life, this is your knife and fork," his mother had told the surprised Jerry as she sent him on his way. Words with impact. To this day.
What continues to motivate him before these games was often asked of Tuwai before these Olympics. After all, he had already won gold twice. His parents, he answered. When he feels exhausted and has no energy left, he simply thinks about the humble house where he grew up - as well as his hardworking mother and father.
In Paris, Tuwai could become a three-time Olympic champion. Having him on the field is "so important," says Coach Kolinisau. When they first won gold in Rio, Fiji, in their honor, had the world's first seven-dollar bills printed. On one side is Osea Kolinisau, who runs with the Rugby ball in his left arm. The reverse side shows the entire team wearing gold medals around their necks. Fiji's gold team from Tokyo was also honored with seven-dollar bills.
But not only the men's team, but also the women's team surprised everyone by winning bronze three years ago. And since then, Kolinisau has experienced a change. Something is happening, he says. Rugby Sevens is no longer just a sport for men on the Fiji islands. Since Tokyo, more parents have been bringing their daughters to Rugby, proudly noting that their daughters could become an Olympian. The women's tournament in Paris begins on Sunday. The Fiji islands are once again hoping for a medal.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris are highly anticipated, especially in the Rugby Sevens community. Fiji, the two-time gold medalists, hope to secure a third title, having dominated in this abbreviated version of Rugby since its introduction to the Olympic program in 2016. Jerry Tuwai, the "Rugby Sevens player of the decade," will once again be a key player for Fiji, aiming to make history as a three-time Olympic champion.
