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The passionate French crowd could not let their home rugby sevens team lose momentum. Yet, the Fiji men’s team had never lost a match on the Olympic stage.
Something had to give, and it culminated in one of the greatest moments in French Olympic history as the host nation clinched its first gold medal of the 2024 Olympics with a 28-7 victory.
For the first time in 100 years, since the last Olympics held in Paris, the French team medaled in rugby. They achieved this in the most dramatic fashion on Saturday.
Facing a daunting challenge as heavy underdogs to Fiji, who have dominated the rugby sevens since the sport’s Olympic debut in 2016, France fell behind early. Fiji demonstrated its historical prowess with a strong start.
With 5:39 remaining in the first half, Joseva Talacolo completed a brilliant Fiji run to score the game’s first try, granting the defending champions an early lead. Fiji’s defense then appeared impenetrable as France held possession but found it difficult to advance.
Fiji came into the match with an unblemished 17-0 record in Olympic play, seemingly set for a third consecutive gold.
However, with two minutes to go in the first half, France made a breakthrough that electrified the home crowd. A try by Jefferson-Lee Joseph and a conversion kick by Rayan Rebbadj evened the score, sending a shocked Fiji team into the halftime break.
The second half saw France emerging as the more confident team. Dominant drives, spurred by breakaway runs from team legend Antoine Dupont, energized the Stade de France crowd. Dupont’s daring sprint led to a pass to Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, who scored the go-ahead try.
Chants of “Dupont, Dupont” echoed through the stadium as Paulin Riva converted, putting France ahead 14-7.
With the clock ticking down, thousands of fans watched in anticipation, hoping time would move faster as Fiji fought to equalize.
Then, the final two minutes brought an exhilarating finish. As Fiji pressed to level the score, France seized the opportunity and sprinted down the field for another try, this time by Dupont with 1:20 left. The 21-7 score ignited early celebrations among the fans.
In the final minute, Dupont added another try on the last play, sealing the 28-7 victory and earning France its first gold.
Afterhandshakes and embraces of joy, the celebration began in earnest. The French team gathered at the center of the pitch and performed a choreographed dance to Will Smith’s song “Miami.” As lights shone on the players, the crowd cheered them on.
It was a fitting end to a historic day for French sport.