The Fiji Women’s 7s team remains winless in the 2024 Paris Olympics after four matches. Under the guidance of coach Saiasi Fuli, the team lost all its pool matches and suffered a 28-22 defeat to Brazil in the 9th to 11th place playoff this morning.
The game began with a quick score from Brazil’s Gabriela Lima just 30 seconds into the match. Fiji quickly responded, with Vani Buleki scoring right after the restart. Ana Maria Naimasi pushed Fiji ahead by finding the corner after a setup from Reapi Uluinasau.
However, Brazil’s Thalia Costa took advantage of a lapse in Fiji’s defense, sprinting 60 meters to score. Fiji’s situation worsened when captain Raijieli Daveua was sent off for a foul, leaving the team with one player short. Brazil capitalized on this, with Lima scoring her second try of the match, bringing the halftime score to 21-10 in favor of Brazil.
After the break, Fiji’s Laisana Likuceva quickly capitalized on a Brazilian error at the lineout to score. Minutes later, Naimasi sprinted for her second try of the match. Despite Fiji’s spirited comeback, Brazil secured their victory with a final try from Yasmim Soares.
Fijiana will face South Africa for the 11th place tomorrow at 2:30 am. In earlier matches, Fiji lost 17-14 to Canada, 40-12 to China, and 38-7 to New Zealand. This marks Fijiana’s worst performance in the Olympics, as the team reached the quarterfinals in the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.