Fiji are hoping the return of “commanding” Jerry Tuwai can inspire them to a third-straight Olympic rugby gold after a season of turmoil on and off the pitch.
The once-dominant Fijians have struggled since their second Olympic gold in Tokyo three years ago.
They have not won a Sevens World Series tournament for two seasons and in March sacked their head coach, Englishman Ben Gollings, just four months before the Paris Games.
Former Fiji sevens captain Osea Kolinisau, who won Olympic gold as a player under English coach Ben Ryan at Rio in 2016, took charge and restored the twinkle-toed Tuwai.
The 35-year-old, Kolinisau’s former teammate and a double gold medal winner, made an immediate impact.
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Tuwai led Fiji to bronze at the World Sevens Series Grand Final in Madrid in June as the rejuvenated Pacific islanders pushed eventual champions France all the way in the semi-final.
“Fiji is blessed to have Jerry Tuwai, you can see the leadership he brings,” said Kolinisau, who also recalled another experienced playmaker in Vatemo Ravouvou.
“He is commanding on the field, it is like having a coach playing with the players,” Kolinisau added.
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“I’m thankful Jerry is willing to go to a third Olympics.”
Tuwai, the 2019 World Rugby Sevens player of the year, was soon back to his mesmerising best.
In Madrid, he picked apart defences with his trademark sidestep, pace and handling skills as he propelled Fiji to wins over South Africa and Ireland, scoring tries in each game, before they agonisingly bowed out 21-14 to a late France try with the final in sight.
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Fiji’s improvement — Madrid was only their second visit to the podium in the 2023/24 season — could not have come at a better time as they aim to peak in Paris after a dismal World Series campaign by their standards.
Even at April’s Hong Kong Sevens, the showcase that Fiji call their “home” tournament and where they have won the title a record 19 times, they failed to get past the quarter-finals in Kolinisau’s first event in charge.
Rugby sevens means everything to Fijians with the men’s sevens team winning the only gold medals in the Pacific nation’s history.
Fiji printed $7 bank notes emblazoned with the winning team to mark the team’s Rio Olympics triumph.
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Updated notes were issued after they defended their gold in Tokyo with Fiji’s bronze-medal winning women’s team also featuring.
“They will be immortalised in the national currency,” said the prime minister.
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Fiji expects their idols to deliver again, and Kolinisau expressed confidence when he took over that four months would be enough time to get his players ready for an assault on a golden hat-trick.
“Nothing is impossible, it depends on our preparations, how I prep and what the boys are going to bring in,” Kolinisau said.
France, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia will be among the threats to Fiji when the men’s rugby sevens kicks off at the Stade de France on July 24, two days before the opening ceremony.
Fiji have been drawn in Pool C with hosts France, USA and Uruguay.
The final is on July 27.