Fiji’s sevens triumph is symbolic of their ‘work together, love one another’ spirit | Ben Ryan


The sunshine of successive Olympic golds will spread far and wide throughout a Pacific island community ravaged by Covid

I got asked on Twitter why the Fijian players always cry when the national anthem is played. It’s true - most of the time that happens and sometimes it’s so emotionally overwhelming it derails the performance if not kept in check. The initial reaction was to say: “Well it’s obvious isn’t it?” But, that would assume the wider public know about what it really means to all Fijians.

On Wednesday the beautiful nation of Fiji won only its second Olympic gold medal, both in the country’s national sport, rugby sevens. There are now 25 Fijians from those two teams who have won a gold medal and now become a signpost to what is possible.

Related: Fiji stun All Blacks in rugby sevens final to win Olympic gold again

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