Sad news :Fiji Sevens Players Fall Behind in World Rankings, Paris 2025 Dreams in Doubt…
Fiji’s once-unstoppable men’s and women’s Sevens teams are facing a period of uncertainty as they struggle to maintain their place at the top of the world rankings. With the Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, the national teams find themselves grappling with inconsistent performances, injuries, and a mounting challenge to hold their ground against stronger competition.
Historically, Fiji has been a dominant force in the world of Sevens rugby, regularly topping the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series standings and clinching multiple Olympic and World Cup titles. However, recent results have cast doubt over the team’s ability to replicate their former glory, with both the men’s and women’s teams falling behind in the world rankings.
As of January 2025, the Fijian men’s team, which was once the world’s undisputed Sevens champion, now finds itself struggling to keep up with the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, who have shown a steady improvement in both skill and fitness. Fiji, on the other hand, has faced challenges such as unforced errors, defensive lapses, and difficulty adapting to the evolving style of play.
In the 2024 World Rugby Sevens Series, Fiji’s men’s team has failed to secure a top-three finish in several tournaments, a far cry from their dominant performances of previous years. Their performance at the 2024 Hong Kong Sevens, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the series, was particularly disappointing as they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by an up-and-coming Argentina side. The loss was a stark reminder of how much the team’s once-unstoppable momentum has slowed.
Meanwhile, the women’s Sevens team is also feeling the pressure. After a strong run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they claimed gold, the women’s team had high expectations heading into the 2024 cycle. However, they have struggled to replicate their previous success, with key players suffering injuries and new faces taking time to adapt to the competitive environment. The team’s recent performances in the Sevens World Series have been marked by inconsistency, leaving them outside the top five in the rankings.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics less than a year away, the timing of these setbacks could not be worse. While the men’s team has already secured a spot for the Olympics due to their high ranking in the 2023 series, the women’s team is in a more precarious situation. If they do not improve their standing in the coming months, they could face a difficult qualification process that puts their Olympic dreams at risk.
The drop in rankings has prompted a wave of criticism from both fans and analysts. Rugby experts have pointed to several factors contributing to the decline, including a lack of cohesion, the rise of other rugby nations investing heavily in Sevens programs, and an over-reliance on key players. Fiji’s head coach, Gareth Baber, who led the men’s team to Olympic gold in 2020, has expressed his concern about the team’s inability to adapt to the changing landscape of Sevens rugby.
“There’s no denying it—teams are catching up to us,” Baber said after a disappointing result in the 2024 Cape Town Sevens. “We need to find a way to get back to the level of performance we’re capable of, or else our Olympic dreams will be in jeopardy.”
In the face of these challenges, Fiji’s rugby authorities are ramping up efforts to turn things around. New talent is being brought into the squad, and players are being put through more rigorous training regimens to improve fitness and teamwork. However, with the clock ticking down to the Paris Olympics, it remains to be seen whether Fiji can recapture their former dominance in time to make a serious run for gold.
As the Paris 2024 Olympics draw closer, both the Fijian men’s and women’s Sevens teams face critical decisions that could determine their success or failure on the global stage. The path to redemption is a tough one, and only time will tell if they can reclaim their place among the world’s best.
