WELLINGTON, New Zealand — When the Fiji men’s rugby sevens team won the World Sevens Series earlier this year, it was a moment to savor: back-to-back titles in the sport’s biggest competition.

That success could seem minor, though, compared with the prize at stake in Rio de Janeiro.

Fiji has competed in 16 Olympic Games to date, but it has never won a medal in any sport. That may be destined to change, now that rugby sevens — Fiji’s national sport — is part of the Olympics.

Rugby, the full 15-a-side version, has been in the Olympics before, but you have to go back to the 1924 Games in Paris, when the United States won the gold. This year’s version will be sevens, the shorter, faster and less complicated version of the sport — and one in which Fiji excels.

Osea Kolinisau, Jasa Veremalua and Savenaca Rawaca may not be known to many people outside Fiji, but they and other stars like Sonny Bill Williams of New Zealand; Cecil Afrika and Seabelo Senatla, both of South Africa; and Perry Baker of the United States have the potential to make plenty of new fans when they play in Deodoro Stadium during the three days of competition, from Tuesday through Aug. 11.