The first port of call for the triumphant Fiji rugby sevens team would be McDonald’s, the players admitted on Thursday after their 43-7 victory over Great Britain to take gold in Rio.
“We’ve been seeing it in the (Olympic) Village but we weren’t allowed to go. The boys have been saying, ‘OK, you stay there, McDonald’s. When we finish here we are coming for you.’ I’m really looking forward to having a Big Mac right now,” said captain Osea Kolinisau after the match.
“This morning, I told the boys, ‘God called us to do this. He chose us and when he chose us he justified us and brought us glory today. Go crazy, go nuts, you deserve this. This victory is for all of Fiji and the Pacific Islands,” he added.
Meanwhile, all of Fiji erupted in celebration of their first ever Olympic medal of any colour, with Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama declaring a public holiday to revel in the victory.
One restaurant on the Pacific island has even reduced the price of Fiji Gold beer to celebrate.
There was also plenty of partying going on in the stands at the Deodoro stadium in Rio itself with many fans having made their way to Brazil to cheer their nation on. And on the field, the team burst into a rendition of gospel song “We have overcome”.
Coach Ben Ryan said after the match: “I’m just delighted we just played so well in the final and we really didn’t give Great Britain, who had done so well up until that point, a sniff and blew them away in the first half.
“This is the nation’s team. The entire country will have watched this and they all should be thrilled about the performance.”
Asked straight after their victory what celebrations were potentially being planned on the island, Ryan reckoned: “I have no idea but I think it’s probably already begun.”
