Coach Ben Ryan has told Sky Sport he’s proud of his adopted country. Fiji led 12-0 after four minutes. They played some staggeringly good stuff.
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The resulting gold medals were the first Olympic medals ever awarded to Fiji and the reaction of the players showed just how much it meant to them.
He added that he “may or may not return, but they should keep the door open”, and has drawn up a calendar for the next two years for the team.
“Fiji picked us off pretty well at the kick-offs, but if we’d held on to a few more tackles the game would have been different”.
In terms of 15s jobs, he said he didn’t expect to be pigeon-holed like he used to be, when being a sevens coach was a black mark on a resume.
The Pacific Islanders ran in seven tries to one against Great Britain.
Skipper Osea Kolinisau, Jerry Tuwai, Jasa Veremalua, Leone Nakarawa, Vatemo Ravouvou, Josua Tuisova and Viliame Mata all scored tries as Fiji collected its first Olympic title at its 14th Games.
Dan Norton claimed a consolation try but it was all about Fiji, their bench left in tears long before the game had ended.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, in Rio for the games, issued a statement hailing “a wonderful moment in the history of our nation”.
Ryan has trained the team for the last three years and is credited with injecting discipline into Fiji’s outrageously talented players.
It was certainly the ideal publicity for World Rugby as they seek a permanent place for rugby sevens on the Olympic programme, the 15-a-side format having last featured in 1924.
Great Britain lost in the final, but still won a silver medal, followed by South Africa in the bronze medal position.
The Sun said Suva “came to a standstill as people were stuck to a TV screen for the 20 or so minutes”. And on the field, the team burst into a rendition of gospel song “We have overcome”. “There’s no one in World Rugby conceited enough to think we have a divine right to be here but hopefully we’ve showcased our sport on the world stage”.
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MELROSE winger Mark Robertson has taken a silver medal in Rio.
