The ruthless Olympian dominance of Fiji's rugby giants
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 the hat-trick in Paris.
It was loud. Really 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 Rugby Sevens group match between France and the Fiji Islands. The ambitious Olympic host against the two-time Olympic champion - 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, due 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 entertaining, faster, and therefore more enjoyable than traditional Rugby. As the name suggests, it is played with seven players - not 15. Therefore, there is always action on the grass. The game time is two times seven minutes. Including the half-time break, a game lasts around 20 minutes.
Impressive record: 15 games, 15 wins
France played, frenetically supported by their own fans, strongly. 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 what all opponents have experienced who have measured themselves against the Fiji Islands at Olympic Games.
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 at the Paris Olympics, three more successes have been added. Through the 19:12 win against France, the team led by trainer Osea Kolisinau, which reached the quarterfinals in the evening, will face Ireland as their opponent.
Eight years ago in Rio, Kolisinau was still on the field himself - and the star of the team. The Fiji Islands won the final against pitiful Brits 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 for many years the sporting flagbearer of the country. The golfer (nickname: the big Fijian, due to his 1.88-meter body height) won the Masters in Augusta in 2000, along with two victories (1998, 2004) at the PGA Championship. Through his second triumph on September 5, 2004, Singh displaced Tiger Woods from the top of the Golf World Ranking. In total, the 62-year-old spent 32 weeks as the industry leader.
In Rio, on average, they won 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 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 stands in the Mixed-Zone of Stade de France and interviews Fiji's players after their win against France for the national television. At home, it was already 1:30 am on Friday when the game started. Nevertheless, as Cama emphasizes, "everyone was definitely there" and watched the game. "These are the Olympic Games, that means so much to us," the journalist stresses.
Jerry Tuwai is the star player of the Fijian team. The 35-year-old scored the equalizing try against France with a 5:5 score. He is the only player who was present in the Olympic wins in Rio and Tokio. And he was named the "Rugby Sevens' player of the decade" not in his homeland but worldwide. Tuwai hails from Newtown, a poor suburb of Suva. Rugby equipment was too expensive for his family, so he had to improvise using empty water bottles or tied-up T-shirts as balls in his childhood and adolescence. As a teenager, Tuwai often went fishing with his father, a fisherman, out at sea and sold the catch on the street afterwards. "Hard work," he says today.
"Messer and Gabel" - Words with Impact
On his shoes, he had the same message written on them this afternoon at Stade de France, a message he has been writing on himself for so many years before every game there: "Messer and Gabel". These words were given to him by his mother, when his financially struggling parents had finally saved enough money to buy their son Rugby shoes. "This is your life, this is your knife and fork," his mother had told the surprised Jerry as she sent him off. Words with impact. To this day.
What continues to motivate him, Tuwai was often asked before these games. After all, he had already won the Olympics twice. His parents, he answered. When he feels tired 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 honor of the team, had the world's first Seven-Dollar bills printed. On one side is Osea Kolinisau, running with the Rugby ball in his left hand. The reverse side shows the entire team wearing gold medals around their necks. The gold team from Tokyo was also honored with Seven-Dollar bills.
But not only them, but also the women. They surprisedly won bronze three years ago. And since then, Kolinisau has "undergone a change." Something is happening, he says. Rugby Sevens is no longer just a sport for men on the Fijian islands. Since Tokyo, "more parents are bringing their daughters to rugby," Kolinisau proudly notes. They see that their daughters can become an Olympian. The Women's tournament in Paris begins on Sunday. The Fijian islands are flirting with another medal again.
After their victory against France, the Fiji Rugby Sevens team, led by trainer Osea Kolisinau, is set to face Ireland in the next round of the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. Despite its small size, Fiji has an impressive record in Rugby Sevens, having won all 15 games at the Olympic level, including gold in Rio and Tokyo. Jerry Tuwai, the star player of the team, scored the equalizing try against France, and he is looking forward to potentially becoming a three-time Olympic champion in Paris.
