Rugby team
TheFiji national rugby sevens team has competed in theWorld Rugby Sevens Series ,Rugby World Cup Sevens and theOlympics . Fiji won the gold medal in the inauguralrugby sevens at the Summer Olympics in2016 inBrazil , the country's first Olympic medal in any event, and repeated asOlympic champions in the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo , defeating New Zealand.[ 1] 2024 after a defeat in the final to hostsFrance . 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 multipleWorld Rugby Sevens Series andRugby 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] [ 3]
TheInternational Rugby Board (IRB) expanded the sevens rugby competition to become aseries 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 theIRB 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.[citation needed Nicknamed the "maestro", played in this side from 1989 to 2006 leading them to countless tournament victories, twoSevens World Cups in 1997 and 2005.
World Rugby Sevens Series [ edit ] 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, 2024–25 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 6th 1 2023-24 Total 25
Fiji has won the World Rugby Sevens Series four times — first in 2005–06, and most recently in 2018–19.[citation needed
Quadrennial tournaments [ edit ] Fiji teams at the 2020 Summer Olympics Rugby World Cup Sevens [ edit ] Tournament Victories [ edit ] 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)The following players have been selected to represent Fiji during the2023–24 SVNS tournament beginning in December 2023.
Note: Caps reflect the total number ofSVNS events competed in as of the2023 Dubai Sevens .
Records and statistics [ edit ]
The following section lists player records from theWorld Rugby Sevens Series . Players in bold are still active.
The following Fiji Sevens players have been recognised at theWorld Rugby Awards since 2004:[ 14] [ 15] [ 16]
In addition to the players listed above, other notable players include:
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 firstWorld 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
McLaren, BillA Visit to Hong Kong in Starmer-Smith, Nigel & Robertson, Ian (eds)The Whitbread Rugby World '90 (Lennard Books, 1989) ^ "Fiji beats New Zealand to clinch back-to-back Olympic titles" .AP . 27 July 2021. Retrieved28 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" Archived 2018-10-27 at theWayback Machine , Ultimate Rugby Sevens, Nick Jordan, 4 October 2014.^ World Rugby ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby" .www.world.rugby . Retrieved16 March 2024 .^ "Fijian Samisoni Viriviri voted IRB Sevens Player of the Year" .www.insidethegames.biz . 11 May 2014. Retrieved29 November 2025 .^ "Tuwai named World Rugby Men's 7s Player of the Year 2019" .www.fijitimes.com . 4 November 2019. Retrieved29 November 2025 .
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