Fiji rugby sevens star Josua Vakurunabili on the emotions behind his Tokyo 2020 heroics

Winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 in 2021 had an especially deep significance for Fiji rugby sevens star Josua Vakurunabili.

Not only had he helped to defend the Olympic title that his compatriots had won four years previously, to send a nation into raptures once more, but the try-scoring machine had also kept a promise to his late father.

Tui Conua Ratu Luke Vidovi, who was his son’s hero and vowed to help him make the team after Fiji’s Rio 2016 Olympic triumph, passed away in the run up to the tournament in Tokyo.

Vakurunabili, who made his debut in the 2017/18 World Rugby Sevens Series and was part of the winning team in 2018/19, made a promise to win the Olympic title for Fiji and his father.

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It made for a highly emotional moment when he returned to his village in Conua district after the Games in Japan, with the gold medal around his neck.

”It was a huge honour to represent Fiji, my father, and to be part of that team,” the 30-year-old told Olympics.com a year later.

“It was a huge moment especially for the families of players who were out on the field. They were crying and singing for us.

“Walking through the village, I was emotional and only hoped that my father was here, to shake my hand and hug me because I was able to accomplish what he wanted me to achieve,” he told the Fiji Sun.

What motivates the Fijian Rugby 7s team

Motivation is never in short supply for the Flying Fijians.

For starters, rugby sevens is their national sport and the Pacific island nation has produced some of the world’s best players over the years.

When Fiji, under coach Ben Ryan, won the maiden Olympic rugby sevens tournament (and Fiji’s first ever Olympic title) at Rio 2016, there was a national celebration that lasted weeks.

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It is something more than a profession, that unites the population in good times and bad. It was also a key bonding force for the team in the run up to Tokyo 2020, when they had to spend five months away from home due to the Covid pandemic.

“We're playing to make our country happy because rugby is a bit like a religion to us back at home,” he continued to Olympics.com.

“We play for them, for all the families who struggle, and it’s the motivation that got us through hard training sessions.

Different team, same goal

The honours were to continue.

Vakurunabili’s consistency and leadership skills were recognised with the captaincy of the team for the Dubai leg of the 2021/22 World Series.

Then, using the momentum from their Olympic victory, Vakurunabili and the team went on to win the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town, and land silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

While the team changed personnel during this time, the players’ drive came from the same place, and ensured that standards never slipped.

_“_Fiji is known for rugby sevens, and the team has a duty to uphold those standards. Nothing will be different for the other players. They know what they do, because it’s their job,” he explained.

While South Africa and Australia have enjoyed regular battles with Fiji over the years, Vakurunabili is in no doubt as to who he believes the team’s greatest rivals are. 

“I think every team is a tough team on the World Series, but I used to hear the commentators say ‘When Fiji meets New Zealand the earth moves’, and I agree with that."

Vakurunabili is every bit the typical Fijian rugby player, from his eclectic rugby skills to his humble demeanour.

With the Paris 2024 Games surely in his sights and the chance to maintain Fiji’s perfect Olympic record with a hat-trick of gold medals, he chooses instead to pay thanks for what he has already achieved.

“[One Olympic gold medal] Maybe that's enough for me,” he said.

“Maybe it’s time for the new generation to come through, and they can write their own history and their own legacy."

Whether Vakurunabili makes the team or not, you can be assured that Fiji won’t give an inch in the defence of their title.