Fiji upset as World Rugby ignores Olympic Games gold medal-winning sevens team at awards ceremony
They were the first Pacific Island nation to claim an Olympic Games medal when their men’s team won the tournament in Rio de Janeiro
The Fiji Rugby Union will express its “concerns and disappointment” to World Rugby after their Olympic Games gold medal-winning sevens team won none of the major prizes at the sport’s annual awards ceremony.
Fiji was overlooked for the team of the year award, which went to New Zealand’s All Blacks who posted a world-record 18 consecutive test wins before losing to Ireland in Chicago last week.
They also missed out on coach of the year award, which went to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen over Fiji’s England-born sevens coach Ben Ryan, and sevens player of the year which was won by South Africa’s Seabelo Senatla.
The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) questioned why none of its “deserving nominees” received an award at the glittering ceremony in London and said that, while they respected the achievement of the All Blacks, they believed Fiji’s gold medal success was more significant.
Fiji became the first Pacific Island nation to claim an Olympic medal when their men’s team won the sevens tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
Sevens rugby is Fiji’s national sport, part of its national culture, and the gold medal success galvanised the country.