ONE GREAT... BOOK

WARNING: if you start reading this book, you may find it impossible to put down. In 2016, Englishman Ben Ryan guided Fiji to gold medal glory at the Rio Olympics. The Pacific Island nation have long been the stars of the Sevens circuit — the abbreviated version of rugby union — but that landmark achievement (the first-ever medal for this tiny nation) is merely the culmination of a remarkable journey. Three years before that historic triumph in Brazil, Ryan was based in London. The England Sevens coach was still reeling from an acrimonious departure from the RFU and on the lookout for a new challenge. A friend alerted him to a job advertisement on Twitter. Fiji were looking for a new coach to look after their muchvaunted, if inconsistent, Sevens side. One 5am Skype call later and Ryan and his wife Natalie were on a long-haul flight to the South Pacific. That is the jumping off point for Ryan’s remarkable story. It’s a rollercoaster ride punctuated with moments of sheer joy and utter agony. There is a stellar cast of characters, from Ropate Kauvesi — the larger than life team manager — to Frank Bainimarama, Fiji’s dictatorial prime minister who has ruled the country since a military coup in 2006. Along the way, Ryan assembles his crack squad for their Olympic adventure in Brazil, but there are many challenges, from cyclones to witch doctors to big-spending European clubs pillaging his best players.

The hard graft on the Sigatoka sand dunes is a fitting metaphor for the work ethic and spirit of the Fijians. They overcome many obstacles and get nothing handed to them, but they play the game with smiles on their faces. This is a story that goes beyond the rugby pitch and gives you a frontrow seat into the workings of a nation that punches well above its weight.