Fiji National Rugby Union Team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005 (coincidentally, the two times it has been held in Hong Kong). The Fiji national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens.
In 1989, veteran rugby commentator Bill McLaren mentions them in an article on the Hong Kong Sevens, saying that their team had no less than three players surnamed Raulini - the brothers Viliami, Meli and Vesi - which caused him great consternation, as he had trouble remembering them correctly.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) expanded the sevens rugby competition to become a series of 11 tournaments around the world. The debt the FRU incurred from the 2000 sevens series were horrific. At the end of December 2000, the FRU was burdened with accumulated losses of F$933,306. Fiji appealed to the IRB for funding arguing that the sevens tournament was built around Fiji and they would not be able to participate without such funding. From that appeal flowed participation funds that enabled the islands teams to play in the World Sevens Series fully funded. By the end of November 2001, the FRU was sitting on a surplus of F$560,311 compared with the previous year's net loss of F$675,609.
Read more about Fiji National Rugby Union Team (sevens): Honours, Current Squad, Former Notable Players, Coaches
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