LOUGHBOROUGH University alumnus Ben Ryan guided Fiji to their first every Olympic medal as they thrashed Great Britain to win Rugby Sevens gold. The gold becomes the first medal of any colour the country has ever won, much to the joy of citizens watching at home.
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Great Britain captain Tom Mitchell said: “I had a few tears at the end”. Fiji has won the Hong Kong Sevens, considered the foremost tournament in the game, a record 16 times.
Ryan was left disillusioned with the game after he was sacked as England sevens coach after seven years in charge and was grateful to receive a quick offer from Fiji to take over its program where he said he rediscovered his fire.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama congratulated the Fijian coach, Ben and Ryan and his team saying, ” A wonderful reception awaits our boys when they arrive back in Fiji.
From Lautoka to Suva in the southern tip of the country, Fiji was sent into pandemonium as their men’s sevens team clinched a historic Olympic gold medal.
Josua Tuisova added another try shortly after half-time, and although Dan Norton claimed a consolation score for Britain, Fiji inevitably had the final word when Viliame Mata crossed the whitewash.
After the win, Suva’s streets swelled with revellers honking horns and singing the national anthem, said Lorraine Seeto, a chief manager at Fiji’s central bank who was looking on from the rooftop of Fiji’s tallest building. They are special players, I’m pleased for them.
He told the graduates that just like the sevens team with the guidance of Ryan, having a more disciplined life and doing the right things at the right time will help them achieve their goals.
Britain and South Africa picked up the silver and bronze, with Japan finishing a way-beyond-expectations fourth.
Viliame Mata rubbed salt into the wounds with a seventh final try to the delight of the partisan crowd that included International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and Britain’s Princess Anne.
“You know we had Winston, the second-biggest hurricane that swept through Fiji in February”, he said.
“The entire nation, young, old, men, women, children and adults and people from across the political divide will come together in celebration”.
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To top it all off, prime minister Frank Bainimaram said there would be a national holiday on August 22 to celebrate the historic win.
