The Fiji Rugby Union is now waiting for explanations from the Fijiana 7s coaches and program manager regarding the team’s poor performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Head coach Saiasi Fuli acknowledged that the tournament was disappointing for the team, despite all the support they received in preparation for the Olympics.
Fuli had three years to prepare the national team for Paris, with several players participating in their second Olympics, showcasing their experience at the top level.
The 2020 Olympics, held a year later in Tokyo, provided a foundation for the Fijiana team. However, similar to the Fiji 7s men’s team, they encountered struggles in the World SVNS Series seasons that followed.
While the men’s team faced public scrutiny leading to coaching changes just four months before the Paris Olympics, Fijiana had ample time under consistent leadership with most players from three years ago.
“As with all tournaments, we will conduct a review. This will be done when the team returns from Paris,” FRU interim chair Peter Mazey stated.
Since Tokyo, Fijiana has not managed to win a title in the World Series but remained in sixth place in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 series standings.
However, their results this season varied and lacked consistency, with their best finish being fourth in Singapore and the lowest being 11th in the Los Angeles tournament in March.
Expectations for a good performance in Paris remained despite the mixed results throughout the season.
“The recent results at the Olympics, including the defeats to China and Brazil, are indeed disappointing. These outcomes do not reflect the immense talent and hard work our players and coaching staff have put in. However, we will wait to speak to the coaches and our program manager,” Mazey added.
Fuli’s future with the Fijiana team, which he began coaching in 2019, is now under review by the FRU, to be discussed when the team returns on Sunday.