Fijian Heritage Rugby:
Fijian Rugby’s Rise to Popularity:
Fijians have been playing rugby for more than 100 years, closer, actually, to 150. The sport was introduced to the country in the 1880s by British settlers and colonial administrators. According to a scholar of Fijian culture, “The game initially developed along racially-segregated lines,” meaning that in the beginning there were different leagues for different races. The segregation of teams continued until the 1940s, when the different unions finally merged. The Flying Fijians have won the Hong Kong Sevens a record-breaking 12 times and the Rugby World Cup Sevens twice. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro—the first Olympics to host a rugby sevens tournament— the team’s fast and furious playstyle won Fiji its first Olympic medal—and not just any medal. The Fijian men’s rugby team won gold, an extraordinary feat for a country whose talent pool (again, fewer than 900,000) is so much smaller than that of many of its opponents.
The Olympic victory led to scenes of mass celebration throughout the country. Not only had Fiji won its first Olympic medal, but the victory secured Fiji’s place in history as the first country to ever take gold in rugby sevens at the Olympics. The historic victory also made the Fiji national rugby sevens team the first and only team (to date) to win the “Sevens Treble”—achieved by winning a sevens series, world cup, and Olympic gold medal.
Rugby Players Unite:
Not everyone in Fiji is the same. As in any country, the people in Fiji have different religions, traditions, cultural backgrounds, and experiences. However, the Fijian’s love of rugby is a unifying and inspiring force for Fijians across the country and throughout the world. Source: FamilySearch Blog
