Fiji shows faith in silver-medalist Kolinisau

NEWS: Osea Kolinisau has been tasked with taking Fiji to rugby gold at the 2028 Olympics after his contract as coach of the Sevens team was extended.

The 38-year-old’s new deal will cover the next four years after he guided the Pacific islanders to the Final of the Paris Olympics.

Fiji took silver after going down 7-28 to the hosts at a packed Stade de France.

It was Fiji’s only medal of the Olympics.

Reaching the Final was a dramatic turnaround after Fiji struggled last season on the world sevens series circuit.

Kolinisau only took charge four months before the Games after Englishman Ben Gollings was sacked following a string of poor results.

“It’s very impressive what he achieved in four months,” Peter Mazey, interim chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, told reporters Monday in Suva.

“Our men’s team was at the bottom of the barrel, no one was betting on it to get anywhere near the finals.”

Sevens is hugely popular in Fiji and Mazey made it clear what is expected of Kolinisau in four years’ time.

“We are committed to winning gold at Los Angeles in 2028,” Mazey said.

Kolinisau retired from international Sevens after he captained Fiji to gold when the abbreviated version of the game made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games.

Fiji defended their title in 2021 at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics.