From the dusty villages of Lomaiviti to the crowded central markets of Suva, Fijians called a halt to work and school to celebrate the country’s first ever Olympic medal – gold for the men’s rugby sevens team, who beat Great Britain 43 points to seven in Rio.

In the capital revellers danced on rooftops and wove in and out of traffic waving the pale blue Fijian flag, still bedecked with their former colonists’ Union Jack.

“It is a bit awkward that we had to beat Britain, with all that history there,” said Feini Lakai, an officer manager in Suva.

“But you know everyone in Fiji is saying they’re cousins with Ben [Ryan, the British coach of Fiji’s sevens squad] now. At the moment the whole country is claiming he’s their relation.”

The win was rare good news for this impoverished South Pacific nation of 900,000, which is still recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Winston in February when 43 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless.



“I think the whole country has gone crazy,” said Maikele Seru, deputy sports editor of the Fiji Times, speaking from his office five minutes’ walk from the centre of town.

“Nobody is working, now we are just waiting for the team to come home, people are saying when the team get back the government should declare a national holiday.”

Fiji fans stop traffic to celebrate Fiji 7s Olympic gold win. Only in #Fij Vinaka Ben Ryan and our boys for the win pic.twitter.com/ZxDRFAez4W — jn (@FijianNextDoor) August 12, 2016

Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, confirmed from Rio that there would be at least one more day of public holiday to celebrate.

“We’ve got celebrations programmed for when [the team] return. We are all proud to be Fijians right now,” he said.

Bainimarama, who sat with Fijian fans in the Rio stands during the sevens competition, joked: “Our productivity has been nil in the last couple of days, but hopefully the GDP will go up in the next couple of weeks.”

John O’Connor, chief executive of the Fiji Rugby Union, said planning for the team’s return next Sunday was already under way.



“This team have made history for Fiji,” he said.

“I do think Ben Ryan has played a huge part in changing the culture and we have a lot to thank him for.”

The final aired at 10am Fijian time and thousands of people crowded into the ANZ National Stadium in Suva where the game was aired on a large public screen.

But many thousands more watched on small television sets in markets, taxi stands, beauty parlours and banks.

“Usually it is just native Fijians who care about rugby but this game has brought our whole mutlicultural society together,” said Seru.

“Even the Chinese restaurant watched – I heard them cheering.”

Immediately after Fiji’s win the national television broadcaster began replaying all of the matches leading up to the final, and Ana Naisoro, the spokesperson for Fiji police, said people continued to shout and scream at televisions as if the games were live.

“There is disruption on the roads, congestion on the streets, it’s chaos here,” she said, laughing. “But ah – we are unconcerned.”

On Twitter Fijians shared pictures of impromptu street parties. Fiji Airways tweeted: “Today we are exclusively serving Fiji Gold beer on board all our flights.”

At Swami Vivekanada College in Nadi, where students practise meditation, a morning assembly was called to allow the 700 students to watch the game.

“The students were too excited after the game, they were jumping up and down, they couldn’t concentrate,” said headmaster Gyan Sumer. “So we have let them go outside and play sports for the rest of the day.”

At the Fiji Hideaway Resort on the Coral Coast, guests and staff watched the game in the restaurant together, and then staff took to the stage to dance while patrons downed cocktails at the bar.

“Tonight I will return to my village to celebrate,” said Hideaway Resort’s guest relations manager, Kiti Ratu.

“Kava will be a must. And we will eat roast pork and tapioca and coral trout cooked in fresh coconut cream. I will never forget this day for the rest of my life.”

O’Reilly’s Irish bar in the heart of Suva’s nightclub district opened at 10am on Friday – and by lunchtime had already run out of vodka. Staff were sent on emergency supply runs to buy slabs of Fiji Bitter and Fiji Gold beer – double the usual quantity for a Friday night.

“Rugby is the only thing that stops this nation, it’s our religion, it is what brings us together, we play with our hearts” said Lakai.

“Those men carried the heavy weight of all our hopes on their shoulders. There will be a big party tonight – but a bigger party when our boys get home.”