The Fijiana women’s sevens rugby team have lost both pool matches at the Paris Olympics today and look set to miss the quarterfinals in the process.

Bronze medallists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Fijians lost 17-14 to Canada in their first pool game.

China then handed the Fijians an upset 40-12 thrashing.

These results means Fijiana must beat New Zealand and hope to progress as one of the two best third place teams.

China displayed Fiji’s own style of play, throwing the ball around, taking the tackles and still off-loading and put on a strong defensive display when they pressure Fiji.

FBC Sports said the contribution of former coaches Osea Kolinisau and Setefano Cakau was evident in how China played.

Kolinisau and Cakau are currently coaching the Fiji men’s team and had stints as coaches with the Chinese in 2021-2022.

NZ connections
China now has the services of former New Zealand sevens rep Rocky Khan and longtime New Zealand 7s mentor Sir Gordon Tietjens.

Pool matches will continue on Tuesday, with Fiji taking on New Zealand in their third and final pool game.

Hosts France, the USA, New Zealand and Australia have recorded two wins each so far and are now confirmed for the quarterfinals.

France did not concede a point in their two games so far.

A record crowd of 66,000 fans packed into Stade de France to set a new record for a women’s rugby event.

World Rugby says that beats the previous record of 58,498 at Twickenham for England v France in 2023.

Australia’s Maddison Levi scored an incredible sevens tries in two matches to take her Olympic total to 10.

Australia got off to a flying start against South Africa in their opener, winning 34-5.

They took on Great Britain in their second outing, coming out with a 36-5 victory.

Great Britain, however, will head into day two second in the pool after they beat Ireland 21-12 in their opening game.

Strong USA start
USA got their Olympic campaign off to a strong start as they defeated Japan 36-7 in Pool C.

A 24-5 win against Brazil in their second game took them into day two unbeaten, with a showdown against France to decide the pool in store.

Hosts France thrilled the boisterous home crowd by also ending the day unbeaten after convincing wins against Brazil and Japan without conceding a point.

They won 26-0 in their opener against the South Americans before a bombarding performance against Japan ended 49-0 in their favour, scoring seven tries on their way to the Pool C summit.

World Rugby chair Sir Bill Beaumont said “after a scintillating men’s competition at these special coming of age Games for Rugby Sevens”:

“It is fitting that yet another record has been smashed. With the world’s best women’s sevens players shining brightly on sport’s biggest stage, 66,000 fans were gripped by the action, while an unprecedented broadcast and digital audience will ensure that more young people in more nations and communities will be inspired by these awesome athletes, who are amongst the best in the world in sport.”

Seeking a medal
Australia captain Charlotte Caslick says they want to win a medal this time around, having missed out on Tokyo in 2020.

“It is a part of sport that it brings highs and lows. But we have achieved a lot since then so we have definitely moved on and are really looking forward to this campaign. That loss in Tokyo has really helped us to grow.

“We have a lot of girls coming back after injuries. We just have to keep doing what we do, to keep performing. We don’t do it for recognition, we do it because we love each other and we love this sport. Hopefully, if we’re successful here we’ll go a long way.”

New Zealand captain Sarah Hirini, making a return from injury, says she is excited for her team’s chances.

“It means a lot. It’s been a tough journey but I’m so grateful to the people around me to get me back to this point. I’m so happy to be back with the team and on the big stage.

“I’m so proud to be back representing my family, everyone back in New Zealand. Wearing this black jersey means everything. It gives you superpowers.

“It has such a legacy and it’s one of the most powerful tools we can hold on to for a set amount of time. And when the time comes you give it to the next person.”

Women’s sevens rugby results from Day One:
China 40 Fiji 7
France 49 Japan 0
USA 24 Brazil 5
Australia 36 Great Britain 5
Ireland 38 South Africa 0
New Zealand 43 China 5
Canada 17 Fiji 14
France 26 Brazil 0
USA 36 Japan 7
Australia 34 South Africa 5
Great Britain 21 Ireland 12
New Zealand 33 Canada 7

One silver for Team Pasifika
The Fiji men’s sevens team has recorded the only medal so far for Team Pasifika.

They won silver in the competition, following their 28-7 final loss to France on Sunday morning (NZ time).

Meanwhile, Fijian captain Jerry Tuwai has apologised to Fijian fans for the final loss, saying they had let fans down because they had aimed to win the gold medal again.

Speaking at the post match press conference, Tuwai said France was just too good.

“I just want to thank the fans back home for the support and the prayers, we would like to apologize for falling short to a very good French side, they deserve it, thanks very much for the support through the years and we’ll see you back home,” he said.

Head coach Osea Kolinisau added to that and said they will now focus on the HSBC SVNS Series, which kicks off later this year.

In other sports:

Team PNG said Ume, who fought in the men’s 63.5 kg category, lost to Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez Borges.

Borges stopped Ume in the second round.

Team PNG said Ume was an inspiration.

“John received the call to join the team just seven days before his bout, following an unfortunate injury to a boxer from Solomon Islands,” Team PNG said in a statement.

“Despite not being in peak form due to the unexpected nature of his invitation, John answered the call with pride and courage. John faced the formidable Cuban athlete Erislandy Alvarez Borges in his Olympic debut.

“Alvarez, a highly accomplished boxer with a silver medal from the 2023 World Championships and an undefeated professional record, proved to be a tough opponent.

“John fought valiantly, showcasing the spirit and tenacity that define Team PNG. However, in the second round, the referee stopped the match, awarding the victory to Alvarez.

“John’s participation in the Olympics, despite the short notice, is a testament to his resilience and dedication.”

Team PNG added that despite the outcome, Ume’s participation in Paris 2024 has made his country proud.

“Team PNG stands proud of John’s remarkable effort and unwavering resilience on the Olympic stage.”

And Tongan female boxer Fe’ofa’aki Epenisa also lost her first fight.

Aki, the island kingdom’s first female boxer to fight at the Games, could not upset Vietnam’s Thi Linh Ha in the women’s 60 kg category.

Linh won the fight 5-0 on the scorecards.

ONOC says the USA based boxer fought well and tried her best, which was not enough to get her into the next stage.

Boxing continues tomorrow, with gold medal finals also on the programme.

ONOC says the list included Lanihei Connolly of the Cook Islands in the women’s 100m Breaststroke Preliminary heats..

Connolly competed in Heat 2, finishing her race with a time of 1 minute 10.45 seconds.

Tonga’s Alan Uhi swam in the men’s 100m Backstroke, finishing with a time of 1 minute 0.62 seconds.

The Tonga Association of National Olympic Committee commended Uhi’s performance.

“Our youngest Olympian to Paris 2024 swam in the first Heat of the men’s 100m backstroke at the Paris La Defense Arena!

“Great attempt at your first Olympic appearance, certainly won’t be your last!”

FSM’s Tasi Limtiaco completed his 100m Breaststroke event in 1 minute :4.14 seconds.

American Samoa’s Micah Masei competed in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke, finishing third in his heat with a time of 1 minute 05.95 seconds.

Swimming continues tomorrow.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

France has claimed their first Olympic Games sevens rugby gold medal with a 28-7 win over Fiji at the Stade de France

Star French player Antoine Dupont scored two late second half tries to help the side create history in front of a partisan 69,000 crowd.

Fiji, who were chasing a three-peat attempt at the Paris Olympics, paid the price for giving away critical penalties in the second spell as France took control.

Fiji’s Josaia Raisuqe said it was a good final, but Fiji made some mistakes.

“Maybe because [France] were playing on their home soil, it was a special motivation for them. But we must just keep on going.

“We gave our best in this final. But when it comes to the end, one is going to win and one is going to lose, so we accept that.”

He said Fiji’s medal is silver but “still it is important to me”.

‘Silver on my neck’
“Maybe we are going to come back in the next Olympics and we will give everything.

“I have silver on my neck.

“My family and country is happy now. My mum and dad brought me into this sport and I am thankful for that.”

The Fijians, who claimed the gold at the both the 2016 and 2020 Games, started the game with a Josefa Talacolo try.

But France responded through Jefferson-Lee Joseph and the two teams were tied 7-all at halftime.

Fijian captain Jerry Tuwai had to be content with winning his first silver medal, having won two previous gold medals in Brazil and Japan.

But he had not been in the team earlier in the sevens season.

‘Hard when left out’
“It was very hard when I was left out but I always had hope that I could play another Olympic Games and it happened,” he said.

“I was coming for the gold but it wasn’t to be. What can you say?

“My first Olympics (Rio 2016) was a real surprise to me because it was the first time for rugby at the Olympics.

“The second was better and this one was better still, even though I didn’t win gold with my teammates and for my country. I am grateful I could come this far.”

Head coach Osea Kolinisau was also hoping to become the first sevens rugby coach to have won an Olympic gold medal as a player and coach, having been captain when Fiji first kissed gold in Brazil in 2016.

France, with former Test captain Dupont leading their charge in the second half, had their fans cheering early when play resumed for the second spell, running down the flank to set up Aaron Grandidier for their first try.

Then it was Dupont who came to the front for his country, claiming his double and shutting Fiji out.

Fiji did not have much possession in the second half as France applied pressure and played rushed defence to disrupt the defending champions.

Fiji sailed through semifinal
Fiji sailed through to their third final with an outstanding display of flair and skills, beating Australia 31-7. The two teams were 7-all at halftime.

The Aussies managed to score first following a Fiji mistake.

Joji Nasova replied with a length of the field try when he raced away from close to his tryline.

France came from behind to beat South Africa 19-5.

It was a tight affair with both teams failing to score any points in the first half.

The South Africans were the first to score after the break before the hosts answered with three successive tries.

South Africa defeated Australia in the bronze medal final to claim their second Olympic Games bronze, with a 26-19 win.

In the other play-offs, New Zealand finished fifth, defeating Ireland 17-7.

Argentina hammered USA 19-0 to claim seventh spot, Kenya finished ninth beating Samoa 10-5 and Uruguay ended up 11th with a 21-10 win over Japan.

The women’s competition kicks-off on Monday morning (NZ time), with medal finals scheduled for Wednesday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji Olympic rugby sevens captain Seremaia “Jerry” Tuwai’s parents couldn’t hold back their tears and kept thanking God for the blessings they have received.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday announced on his Twitter page that the government was planning a $1 million (NZ$690,000) reward package for the national team.

A special package only for captain and two-time Olympian Jerry Tuwai includes a house.

His parents were emotional and hugged each other when they were asked how did they feel about these plans from the prime minister.

“Our prayers have been answered,” Vunisa said

“We always pray for our family and for Jerry’s life. The hard work, the pain the struggle has finally been answered.

“I told my wife before the team played in Tokyo that whoever walks in Gods sight will be blessed and God has indeed blessed my family.”

Duty to his country
Vunisa said that he had encouraged Tuwai to take up an overseas contract and he always replied that he had a duty to his country.

His mum, Serewaia Vualiku, said for the family to be away from each for five months was really hard.

“It wasn’t like this before, even in 2016,and we both knew that within that period he wanted to see his children. He is close to his family, especially his kids.

Rugby doesn’t just let us forget our troubles –– it inspires us to overcome them.

The victories of our men’s 7s and Fijiana have inspired us all. To give back, we’re announcing a million-dollar reward package for these heroes.

Yes, that includes a house for Capt. Jerry. pic.twitter.com/Itjj1ZILkl

— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) August 6, 2021

“But we kept encouraging him never to give up, the road hasn’t ended yet. It’s his dream and he should focus on his dream.

“For us as parents we know he is chosen for this. This is his destiny and God gave him this and we are grateful for his everlasting love on my family.

“For his children they are all counting the days when they will finally get to see their father.

“As we welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement, we also give thanks to the Almighty that without him we will never achieve this.”

Grateful for support
The family is indeed grateful to the support from their families, friends, their neighbours and everyone who has been supporting the national team and Tuwai.

As they wait for his arrival from quarantine, the family plan to hold a small family celebration.

“With the what we are going through now unfortunately we cannot hold a big celebration compared with what was done in 2016 but we will celebrate his achievement as a family.”

The pledged package covers both the men’s sevens, which won gold at Tokyo, and the women’s team Fijiana, which won bronze.

Paulini Curuqara is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

It might have been just a bronze medal to some people but for the Fijiana team — especially Sesenieli Donu — it was the fruit of sacrifice and a token of appreciation for her village of Vatukarasa in Nadroga.

After an intense competition for the bronze medal with Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan, the country’s women sevens rugby team bagged their first ever medal after defeating their former coloniser 21-12 last Saturday.

The excitement spread like wildfire in Vatukarasa as one of their very own has her name down in the history book especially at a hard-hit time when Fiji is battling the deadly delta variant of covid-19.

“This is gold to us to see that one of our own women got to the top and played against teams from bigger countries,’’ Donu’s uncle Jone Domonakibau said.

“After losing both her parents at a very young age, Sesenieli became determined to be one of the best players in rugby and she has proved herself.

“She would lose herself to training and even if it meant for her to be surrounded by men as this was a male-dominated sport. She never gave up.”

Donu was picked for the sevens squad after she proved herself worthy to be with the team at the 2020 Women’s Skipper Cup games in Lautoka.

Deserving trip
The 25-year-old’s Olympic journey out of Fiji is her first time in a foreign land and Domonakibau said it was a deserving trip after what she had been through.

“We are so blessed to have witnessed her rugby life at the Olympics and we look forward to more magical works of God in her life as we know she is a capable child.”

He knew that Donu would do wonders when they would see her returning from her training at the beach near their village early in the morning.

“She would wake up around 4 to 5am in the morning when the village is silent and run to the beach and train.

“It was not a surprise to many of us waking up to her return after an intense exercise.
He added that the village was organising a celebration for the 25-year-old when she returns.

“We are aware of the restrictions in place and so we would do something really small yet meaningful to show how proud we are of her.

Captain thanks Fijians
Like Donu, the rest of the history-making team could not contain their happiness as a video by the Fiji Rugby Union featuring the Fijian captain Rusila Nagasau saying “thank you” to people in the country.

“I want to thank the girls for standing up and winning the bronze today,” she said.

“To our family and friends back at home, I would like to say a big vinaka vakalevu (thank you)… thank you very much for your prayers and support.

“To the government, thank you so much for helping us throughout the five months of quarantine back in Fiji.”

PM congratulates Fijiana
In his official Facebook page, the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama congratulated the team of women for the legacy created in Tokyo.

“Ahead of the Rio Olympics, there were 200 registered women rugby players in Fiji. Now, there are more than 1000.

“With the eyes of the young women of Fiji upon these heroes — no doubt we’ll soon see many thousands more.

The prime minister said the best was yet to come from the team.

The women’s sevens team will return to Fiji next Tuesday and spend 14 days in quarantine before rejoicing the win with their loved ones afterward.

Josefa Babitu is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He is also the current student editor for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publication. He is a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz