The impact of Fiji 7s

IT’S interesting that Fiji’s Olympic Games gold medal winning coach Ben Ryan has revealed he has an issue coaching another international 7s team. As our report on Page 1 states, Ryan appears to have a soft spot for the national side.

It isn’t difficult though to understand why. Thousands of Fiji fans around the world will agree with him. They will understand him. They know exactly what it is that is in his heart and his mind.

When it comes to the national side, especially the 7s side, there can be no doubting the impact the Fijian brand has on the minds and the hearts of fans.

It is a like a bridge that brings people together. The abbreviated version of the sport has a very strong hold on Fijians.

It cuts right through every imaginary demarcation line.

It has the power to unite a nation, lifting spirits, inching out feelings of patriotism and bridging divides, cutting through gender, religion and ethnicity.

You can sense the pulse of the nation when our team wins in Hong Kong.

Who can ever forget the great feeling of accomplishment, and pride when we won the gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016?

On August 13, 2016, I remember penning this, “There can be no doubts about the positive impact of Fiji’s foray into the final, and our gold medal victory over Great Britain.

“There will be positive roll-on effects for the sport globally for years to come, for the individual players and for Fiji as a nation.

“Surely we will have to accept the fact that Ryan and the team have given us invaluable exposure, taking Fiji to parts of the globe our tourism marketing budget never would have reached.

“The masses would have seen Kolinisau and the team play. Surely they would have been attracted by the athleticism, flamboyance and the dazzling natural skills of Fiji’s best sevens team.

“Prior to the semi-finals, without a doubt, many people around the world had never seen sevens rugby played with such intensity, skill, enjoyment and passion.

“Many have since developed a fondness for, and appreciation of the ‘white beast’, and in the midst of all that excitement, you couldn’t take away respect for status, humility and respect for religion.

“What a final! What an achievement! It feels good to be a Fijian. It certainly feels good to be sitting on top of the world.”

Ryan’s revelation is a testimony to the impact of Fijian rugby 7s.

It’s an acknowledgement of how important it is to those who have been fortunate enough to be part of the great emotional rollercoaster ride the Fijian game takes us on.

Now that’s a challenge every aspiring 7s rugby player will have to live up to well into the future. There is great expectation riding on the shoulders of our national representatives.

This is why Fijian 7s rugby is much more than just a game! As we look to Vancouver this weekend, we say go Fiji, go.