IT’S a competitive friendship for Fiji and France, two teams grouped together in Pool B of the Vancouver 7s, says head coach Osea Kolinisau.
Kolinisau says the special relationship between the two powerhouses was a treasured one despite the illustrious history between the two teams with a tale that spans from series rivalry to fierce battles on the Olympic stage.
“We always have that competitive friendship; I always know that they’re going to come hard,” Kolinisau said yesterday in a virtual press conference from Canada.
“They have a reputation to keep as Olympic champions and they’re building thwards that as well.”
Those were his sentiments when asked by the media on how Fiji would fare against the French after beating them in the final of the Singapore 7s in January this year.
“France is a very good side, in the last two months they have been bringing back a lot of their gold medal winning players, which shows how serious they are,” he mentioned.
“They lost us in the final and they’re going to be coming hard again. I have a good relationship with their coach.”
Fiji and France famously met in the gold medal match for rugby sevens at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where the home side won 28-7.
Meanwhile, Fiji meets France tomorrow at 7.19am, followed by Argentina at 11.07am and Australia at 2.56pm.
In making those fixtures, the team will also have two aims to achieve in their minds; to maintain their lead at the top of the series standings and bring home the Vancouver 7s title.
