Sawt Falasteen - 'It's their place': Fiji sevens fans reclaim Hong Kong turf

"Hong Kong is where they want to perform. It's their place," said Natalie Fong, a Fiji native and sevens regular who has lived in the city for the past 20 years, the country's cyan-blue flag draped over her shoulders and a scarf in the same colour around her forehead.

She and her friends -- many adorned with curly blue wigs -– made up one of several pockets of fans from the sevens-obsessed country inside Hong Kong Stadium, which –- despite being in southern China -– is something of a home venue for Fiji.

Their numbers have been given a significant boost since November's Hong Kong tournament, thanks to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions and Saturday's return of direct flights to the city from the Pacific island.

"It's electric isn't it," said Lusi, a Hong Kong first-timer who declined to give her surname because, "umm, it's a long one".

"It's like all the letters in the alphabet," chipped in Epeli Buliciri, a Fiji superfan who made the trip six months ago, despite the obstacles.

"I've been coming since 2007, non-stop," he said, wearing a bucket hat adorned with about 70 commemorative pins from the scores of sevens tournaments he has attended around the world.

"If I have to do what I have to do to watch Fiji, I'll do it."

Fiji is one of the only countries in the world where rugby sevens is the national sport.

It is also the only country with a seven-dollar banknote in circulation -– introduced in 2016 to celebrate the sevens team's gold medal at the Rio Olympics, and reissued in 2021 when they repeated the feat in Tokyo.

The Olympic champions are also Hong Kong Sevens legends, their 19 titles more than any other nation, including seven of the last nine.

"Sevens put Fiji on the world map," said Satish Narmai, a TV rugby commentator and opinion writer for the Fiji Times based in the capital Suva, in town to report on the nation's heroes.

"When Fiji plays sevens, the whole country stops," he added.

"Even the police say that during the Hong Kong Sevens weekend, that's when there's no crime reported. Because there's no one outside their house, they're all glued to the TV sets."

Despite an early scare when they conceded the first try, the side saw off Argentina 26-19, to top the pool and proceed to the quarter-finals.

As they departed the field, the players walked past Buliciri and his raucous fan group, who waved massive flags and chanted "Fiji! Fiji!"

"We are always motivated when we have fans here," 30-year-old player Tevita Daugunu told AFP.

"But not only here, I know they will be watching on TV back at home. We are always motivated to have them behind us."

Coach Ben Gollings echoed his player's gratitude to the travelling contingent.

"This is an amazing place to play rugby, and if you're Fijian it's even better," he said.

"It's great to see the blue and white back out. They call it the eighth man, it really is. And we thank them."

U.AlSharif--SF-PST