If you ask a rugby sevens fan for the first word or image that pops into their mind when thinking about the sport, it will most likely surround the mystical Fiji men’s national team. They are the reigning and only Olympic champions – rugby sevens was included for the first time at the Rio 2016 Games – and are the only Olympic medallists in the South Pacific country’s history. They are four-time World Rugby Sevens Series winners, two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens winners, and the only country to have won the “Sevens Treble”. Fiji boast legends such as Waisale Serevi and Jerry Tuwai , undisputedly two of the greatest to ever grace the game, and have a knack for dominating the Hong Kong Sevens each year, having won 20 trophies between 1977 and 2019. The “Flying Fijians” bring a unique playing style that teams can try to mimic but will never replicate. From unorthodox sidesteps to audacious passing, they never fail to take spectators’ breath away and almost always become the people’s team by the tournament’s end. After more than 16 months without international competition, coach Gareth Baber’s side are simultaneously hungry to get back on the field, defend their title in Tokyo, and give their country something to cheer for. Here’s what you need to know about their stunning journey to the Games and tumultuous Olympic preparation. Hear from the Boss what he and the players did coming out of quarantine and moving to base camp in Townsville. Catch them in action during the PacificAus Sports Oceania 7s from Friday. #PacificAusSports #Oceania7s @oceaniarugby pic.twitter.com/MBnY5TvZ9P — Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) June 21, 2021 Olympic gold medal defence Fiji flew into Rio 2016 qualification well before any other team having finished first in the 2018-19 Sevens Series. They were unbeaten in all six matches, with “Human Bulldozer” Josua Tuisova the top scorer. Fiji humbled debuting Great Britain 43-7 in the final having edged the ever-dangerous New Zealand 12-7 in the quarter-finals. Then-coach Ben Ryan was subsequently afforded the country’s highest order and his face is on their 50 cent coin. Baber has created a similarly impressive legacy of his own, winning Fiji’s fourth Sevens Series while overtaking Ryan for the most tournaments won by a sevens coach. The former Hong Kong boss has a chance to further cement his place in Fijian rugby folklore with an Olympics win, and is confident in doing so despite the lack of game-time and players and staff not seeing their families for half a year. On today's #WinningWednesday , we remember this awesome moment from Rio 2016. Fiji, having never won an Olympic medal, took gold in the rugby sevens tournament! #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/H1DHtAVTOF — Olympics (@Olympics) March 10, 2021 Waves, bubbles and vaccines Following months in team bubbles and quarantine – a short-notice, mid-training camp decision as the country appeared to be experiencing its second wave – Fiji will taste their first international competition via the PacificAus Sports Oceania Rugby Sevens exhibition in Australia on June 25-27. They last played an international event at the Vancouver Sevens in March 2020. Both the men’s and women’s teams received their second AstraZeneca vaccine doses, the Fiji Rugby Union confirmed. “It’s the first opportunity the teams now have to travel out of Fiji to get to play some international rugby game time. Australia and New Zealand have already competed against each other, while our plans have been to maintain our training programme to ensure our players reach their optimal,” Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor told RugbyPass. Coach Baber added: “It is a hard prospect, normally we would have had competition [...] to play in, where we can measure each other against the rest of the world. With the quarantine restrictions we would have to go straight from Australia to Japan and our training base in Oita. It will be the first time we have been out of Fiji since last February and that is particularly tough.” The day that @fijirugby secured a fourth World Series title #HSBC7s #OTD pic.twitter.com/mWqBmYFfBS — World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) June 2, 2021 Ones to watch The team will likely be led by captain Tuwai – the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Decade and Fiji’s top try-scorer. He and teammate Kitione Taliga are the two remaining members from the Rio 2016 campaign, while the provisional squad includes new faces, seven of whom have not previously been to a Series. “We’ve been quarantining for close to three months now. We’ve been doing things to bring us together as a team and to look forward to the task ahead with the necessary sacrifices to make, not just for our families and ourselves, but for the nation as a whole,” Tuwai said. Travel restrictions have caused obstacles in recalling elite players such as Semi Radradra , Vilimoni Botitu and Aminiasi Tuimaba. Bristol Bears unit Radradra would add incredible speed and power to the Fiji attack and signs of him being shipped over to Australia or Japan appear to be promising. “Semi Trailer”, as he is known, was looking to help Bristol win the Premiership this season but is also reportedly “desperate” to play sevens for Fiji. Coach Gareth Baber has named his 18 players for the Oceania 7s. @oceaniarugby 25th to 27th of June in Townsville. Get ready VITI fans. https://t.co/hGr3er6gos pic.twitter.com/x2jdeCGsX6 — Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) June 3, 2021 Tuimaba and Botitu, meanwhile, are still not finalised according to O’Connor. “We are considering all the best available options presently because the idea is to bring back the gold from Tokyo so to achieve that mission, only the best players will don the white jersey with the coconut tree emblem.” Fiji men’s provisional team Kalione Nasoko, Josua Vakurinabili, Meli Derenalagi, Kavekini Tabu, Iosefo Masikau, Asaeli Tuivuaka, Joseva Talacolo, Taniela Sadrugu, Rusiate Nasove, Jerry Tuwai, Livai Ikanikoda, Napolioni Bolaca, Waisea Nacuqu, Jiuta Wainiqolo, Kamiieli Rasaku, Sireli Maqala, Kitione Taliga and Alasio Naduva.