Dubai Sevens: Flying Fijians return to top of the podium after ending Spain fairy tale

Osea Kolinisau tastes success in his first Dubai tournament as coach, having won the title twice as captain

Fiji playeers celebrate victory after their 19-5 win over Spain to win the Emirates Dubai Sevens title on December 1, 2024. Getty Images

Fiji players celebrate their win over Spain. Victor Besa / The National

Fiji players celebrate their win. Victor Besa / The National

Fiji players celebrate their win. Victor Besa / The Natio

Action from the final between Fiji and Spain. Victor Besa / The National

Action from the final between Fiji and Spain. Victor Besa / The National

Action from the final between Fiji and Spain. Victor Besa / The National

Fiji players celebrate their win. Victor Besa / The National

Rugby fans during Emirates Dubai Sevens. Victor Besa / The National

Action from the final between Fiji and Spain. Victor Besa / The National

The final touches might have been messy. An ugly fly hack into touch, while they were down to six men for a deliberate knock on, and with an opposition player prowling the touchline complaining he had been struck by a swinging arm.

But, at the end of an exhausting final day at the Emirates Dubai Sevens, the country who have done more to beautify this tournament over the years than any other were finally champions again.

For the first time in nine years, and just the third occasion in the time that the world series has been coming to Dubai, Fiji won the Emirates International Trophy after a 19-5 victory.

To do so, they had to end the fairy-tale run of Spain, who made it to a Dubai final for the first time, on a day of more giant killing in HSBC Svns.

Fiji had not won the sevens since 2015, when Osea Kolinisau was the captain of a side bound for Olympic glory. Now he is back at the helm as coach.

“It is an amazing feeling,” Kolinisau said. “Two years without a trophy [on the world series] for Fiji is far too long. I am just happy for the boys.

“After the criticism they have faced over the past two years, we are finally able to get one back. I was able to do it as a player, and now I am lucky enough to do it as a coach.”

Kolinisau said ahead of this weekend that he hopes to emulate the success of his mentor, Ben Ryan, and bring back the good old days of Fijian sevens.

The early signs are bright. The side celebrated wildly when they beat France with a final play breakaway score in the quarter-final early on Saturday.

It was the sort of joyous outpouring that would not have been typical of the Flying Fijians in their pomp. Back when Kolinisau was captain, France would have been seen more or less as easy-beats for Fiji.

Now, though, times have changed. France won the Olympics, on home soil in Paris during the summer, and so deposed Fiji – the defeated finalists – who had won gold in the first two Olympic sevens events.

Fiji's semi-final was another inversion of the old established order. They beat Argentina 43-21, which was an extraordinary result given that Argentina have been the best side in the abbreviated format for the past two years, and are the defending series champions.

“We are starting to bring that [the flair with which the great Fiji sides are known] back,” Kolinisau said. “We want to restore the old Fiji style of play, and I have seen a bit of that from the boys.

“I hope this gives them the confidence to keep expressing themselves. Ben messaged me and said, ‘One more to go, Oscar. Just be you.’

“I am happy to always have him in my corner. This ground brings back a lot of memories for me, and hopefully it will for these boys, starting with what they did today.”

Argentina might have been smarting after that loss to Fiji in the last four. But they have not lost much ground after the first leg of their title defence. They bounced back to beat New Zealand 14-0 in the third-place fixture.

South Africa’s men saw their bid for a sixth successive Dubai title ended by New Zealand in the quarter final. It meant that the longest unbroken winning run in the tournament was passed on to the Australian women’s side.

They also brought up a fifth title in succession as they beat New Zealand, their regular rivals in the UAE, 28-24 in an outstanding final.

Fittingly, it was settled by the excellence of the extraordinary Maddison Levi. The Australia wing had scored 12 tries in the first four Australia matches in Dubai this weekend.

She only got the one in the final, but it was a decisive, length of the field effort which finally broke the resistance of the New Zealanders.

“We love the weather, it is a dry field and I think it really suits the way we like to play,” Charlotte Caslick, the player of the match in the final, said of Australia’s long run of success in Dubai.