Fiji 7s

Ben Gollings is new Fiji 7s rugby coach

This was confirmed by the Fiji Rugby Union on Friday.

The 41-year-old featured in 70 tournaments on the IRB World Sevens Series, and is the leading all-time point scorer.

In late 2012, Gollings took up a 7s coaching role in Sri Lanka and currently continues to mentor the Tuskers.

Gollings will head to Fiji on January 5 where he will attend the Fiji Rugby Super Sevens Series before leading the national squad to the Malaga tournament in Spain.

Gareth Baber to leave role as Fiji 7s coach

The Welshman took charge of the team at the start of 2017 and guided Fiji to the World Series title in 2018/19, a Commonwealth Games silver medal on the Gold Coast and Olympic gold in Tokyo.

He was offered a contract extension through to the 2024 Paris Olympics but said he wanted to pursue coaching opportunties in the 15-a-side game.

"It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform Fiji Rugby and the people of Fiji that I will not be accepting the contract offer to coach the Fijian 7s Team to the next Olympic Games," he said.

Offer on table for Welsh Olympic mastermind

However, Fiji Union chief executive officer John O’Connor said that while the board had endorsed the Welshman’s contract to be extended the final decision would be Baber’s.

“The FRU board has endorsed an extension of Gareth’s contract to continue as the head coach for the men’s 7s team to the next Olympics,” O’Connor told FijiTimes.

Olympics Sevens gold medal winners Fiji arrived home

The team returned home without their coach Gareth Baber, who is travelling to the UK to visit his family.

Among the passengers on the flight this morning were several other Fijian athletes who participated in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

All the travelers have been taken to a quarantine facility for 14 days of compulsory isolation and tests for COVID-19 as part of protocols.

Meanwhile, Police stopped the media from covering the team’s arrival at the airport this morning.

     

Fijians celebrate Olympic 7s gold medal win

Celebrations even took to the streets despite a curfew back in Fiji.

Pictures and videos of fireworks lighting the up skies and people blowing whistles and screaming around in their neighborhoods flooded social media platforms.

For Ratu Meli Derenalagi’s family in Nadi, it was a proud moment for them seeing their son score a try in the final and winning a gold medal.

Ratu Vuniani told FBC News that for his son to also score the first try during the gold medal game is something that he will never forget.

Fiji 7s creates history clinching back to back Olympic gold

The win brought people out onto the streets in some suburbs back home in Fiji despite a curfew in place as the country battles with a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.     

Captain Jerry Tuwai also became the first player in World Rugby history to win successive Olympic gold medal.

Fiji struck first when Sireli Maqala stripped the ball off Joe Webber before passing to Iosefo Masi who took it into contact then gave it to big Meli Derenalagi who dived over in the corner.

Fiji 7s eyes Olympic gold medal as it meets NZ in final

New Zealand will be out with all guns blazing after they lost to Fiji in the quarter-final at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Captain Jerry Tuwai is the lone player from the 2016 gold medal winning team and a win tonight will cap off his illustrious rugby career.

 Earlier in the day, Fiji defeated Argentina 26-14 in the semi-final.

Fiji had much of the possession in the first four minutes as they ran in two tries.

Sireli Maqala showed his strength and skills as he powered his way through for an unconverted try.

Fiji to meet Argentina in Tokyo Olympics 7s semi final

Fiji secured a semi-final spot after defeating Australia 19-0 in the quarter-final last night.

It was the captain Jerry Tuwai who struck first with a try after fooling the Australian defense with his trade mark skip step.

Australia could have scored a try before halftime but Waisea Nacuqu made a try saving tackle dislodging the ball from the Australian player on the tryline.

Tuwai showed his magic again with a second try while Aminiasi Tuimaba added another to seal the team’s place in the semifinals.

Fiji 7s put on aggressive performance against Great Britain

Fiji started out strong in the game after Asaeli Tuivuaka ran in to score the first try. However the conversion failed.

The defending champions continued the momentum after Sireli Maqala sliced through the defense for a converted try.

Great Britain failed to score any points in the first half of the match.

Jiuta Wainiqolo brushed Dan Norton aside before running away to score for a 19-nil lead at halftime.

Fiji 7s secures second win in Tokyo

Napolioni Bolaca ran straight through the Canadian defense after a scrum inside Fiji’s half for the first try.

Fiji stretched their lead after Jiuta Wainiqolo used his strength from a quick tap two minutes later to score the second try which was converted by Bolaca.

Despite the 14 points deficit, Canada managed to string together a few phases with team effort and at the end, it was captain and the country’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, Nathan Hirayama who dotted down between the sticks.

The Olympic champions Fiji led 14-7 at halftime.