Paris 2024 underway, Warriors edge Tigers in thriller

1. Bienvenue à Paris! The Olympics kicked off in the rain

The Paris Olympics is drawing thousands of fans to France for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

This year is special because it’s the first time since 2016 that the games are being held without much restrictions.

Football and Rugby Sevens were among the first competitions, even before the official opening ceremony. Sāmoa, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia represented our corner of the world in the men’s sevens.

Perhaps, the biggest talking point over the weekend was the opening ceremony that was both extravagant and a strange spectacle.

We saw boats varying in sizes cross the River Seine in the downpour, a controversial recreation of an iconic religious painting, and Celine Dion’s angelic voice returned, much to the delight of her fans.

It was great to see all 12 of our Pacific nations glowing with smiles as they crossed the river waving their flags. The Olympics have indeed arrived!

2. Fiji collect Silver in Rugby Sevens

The Fijians defied any doubt from rugby purists that their recent form at the HSBC League would not translate at the Olympics Games.

The Fijians went unbeaten throughout the tournament, until they were stopped by the hosts France going down 28-7 in the final.

Fiji began their campaign thrashing Uruguay (40-12) and the United States (38-12) then narrowly defeating France in their last pool match (19-12).

In the quarter-finals, Fiji made a strong second-half comeback against the Irish to steal a 19-15 win. The side had a huge task ahead to beat Australia in their pursuit for gold, but won convincingly 31-7 to put them into the grand final.

Stade de France was packed for the Grand Final between Fiji and France with the Pacific islanders striking first following a strong run from Drua star Selestino Ravutaumada breaking tackles in open space.

The scores were locked at halftime 7-al, but an outstanding second-half performance for the French saw them score 21 unanswered tries to take home gold.

The Fijians can hold their heads high for another valiant Olympic performance.

Men's Rugby Sevens finalists Fiji and France embracing after the game. Photo/Fiji Rugby.

3. Fiji women suffer two losses on day one

The Fijian women’s rugby sevens side suffered two losses on their first day of competition at the Paris Olympics, going down 17-15 to Canada, and shockingly beaten by China 40-12 Monday morning.

The Fijians were trailing at the break 12-0 and fought hard in the second half, scoring two tries to come inches away from stealing the win. But the Canadian defence shut out the Fijians’ exciting attack.

In their game against the Chinese, the Fijians could not contain their opposition. China went into the break with a convincing 19-7 lead, outmuscling and outplaying Fiji.

Errors from Fiji halted any fight-back in the second half, which allowed China to pile on the points.

Fiji face defending champions New Zealand in their last pool match Tuesday morning.

4. Who will be competing in the upcoming days

This week we have 23 athletes competing in different events. You can find the full schedule here: Going for Gold: Team Pacific at the Paris Olympics (pmn.co.nz)

Things are going to be Olympic heavy over the next month for our sports coverage, so stay tuned on our website for all the latest:PMN | Olympics articles

Our Olympics Coverage is proudly brought to you by the Pasifika Medical Association Group.

5. The Wahs topple the Tigers

I couldn’t forget my beloved Warriors. The Wahs won in front of another soldout home crowd, winning 28-18 against the last-placed West Tigers.

The Warriors’ left edge was strong in the first half, with Kurt Capewell, Ali Leiataua and Ed Kosi all scoring tries. The Tigers came out strong in the second half with captain Api Koroisau looking dangerous, setting up two tries.

With the Tigers trailing by six points and 10 minutes to go, the Warriors sealed the match scoring two more quick tries. The Tigers scored a consolation try at the end of the game, to support their efforts in Auckland.

Matty’s Golden Point

Matty’s Golden Point is a point of advice shared on 531PI’s Pacific Grandstand show.

“I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.

Mia Hamm, Double Olympic Champion, Soccer