Viniana Riwai: The dual-international rugby sevens star breaking stereotypes in Fiji
This is the story of Fijiana rugby sevens star and national team footballer Viniana Riwai, who is encouraging other women on the Pacific island to break stereotypes in sport.
Growing up in Fiji, Viniana Riwai would often pray for an opportunity to play for her country on the sportsfield.
But while even the most optimistic of children wouldn’t dare dream of becoming a dual-sport international, that is exactly what fate had in store for this once-in-a-generation athlete.
Today, Riwai’s resume reads: national representative in football and rugby sevens, the latter of which also saw her become a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games silver medallist, and two-time World Cup participant.
Despite regularly switching between the sports over the past decade, the 32-year-old’s focus is currently firmly on rugby, where she will compete at the 2023 Pacific Games and hope to do so again at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Viniana Riwai's meteoric rise in rugby
Riwai began her sporting career as a footballer in school, and was selected to represent her district in 2012 and 2013.
The Cakaudrove native then moved from her hometown to Fiji’s capital Suva in order to further her studies at the University of the South Pacific.
It was here that she answered a general call for young women who were interested in trying out for their institution's rugby sevens team.
Riwai’s natural talent was spotted at the first training session by officials from the local women's rugby team Marist Seahawks, and her new journey began.
The half-back quickly rose through the ranks in her new sport, and made her international rugby sevens debut later that year at the 2013 China Sevens in Guangzhou, where the team finished a creditable fourth place.
“When I switched from soccer to rugby, not for one minute did I feel any sense of fear, that I should be afraid because of the tough nature of the rugby sport,” she told Fiji Times after.
“I was simply too excited to be playing for my country and representing my nation, so when I was named in the first line up, my only emotion was gratitude to be there.”
Riwai’s performances saw her retained for the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup in Moscow, where the team was eliminated at the group stage.
After a brief stint back in football representing the national Under-19 women’s team at the 2015 Mini Pacific Games, Riwai donned her rugby sevens boots once more to represent Fiji at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where the sport would make its Olympic debut.
Despite being drawn in a tough group in Brazil, the team qualified for the quarter-finals as second-place finishers in their group thanks to a shock 12-7 win over the United States and a 36-0 demolition of Colombia, in which Riwai contributed a try and conversion.
The team was eventually knocked out by Great Britain in the quarter-finals, but the foundations had been laid for success that was still to come.
Viniana Riwai of Fiji is tackled by Chloe Dalton of Australia during a Women's Pool A rugby match between Australia and Fiji on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Deodoro Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Making history for Fiji in football
However, one year later Riwai would make another dream come true by making her first senior level national football team appearance at the 2018 OFC Women’s Nations Cup Qualifier in 2018, which was capped with a tournament victory.
They would go on to finish as runners-up in OFC Women’s Nations Cup, losing 8-0 to New Zealand in the final.
Riding off the back of this success, the midfield maestro stuck with football for the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa.
The move paid dividends when she scored goals against New Caledonia and American Samoa, finishing the tournament with another medal as Fiji beat the Cook Islands in the third-place playoff.
“I am always happy to fly Fiji’s flag, whether it's rugby or football, because I love both sports,” Riawi told Oceania Football after the tournament.
“I chose football this time because this is where I started my career in sports and I want to give something back to the sport.
“It wasn’t hard for me to switch because my teammates are very helpful and I have been playing at half-back in rugby, which means I have been kicking a lot and I think that helped me to get back my touch.”
Viniana Riwai of Team Fiji scores a try during the Women's Rugby Sevens Semi-Final match between Team Fiji and Team Canada on day two of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Coventry Stadium on July 30, 2022 on the Coventry, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Tokyo 2020 Olympics: A tournament Fiji would never forget
The Fijian men’s rugby sevens team's victory at Rio 2016 - the nation's first Olympic gold ever - and the images of national celebration after will likely never be forgotten in Fiji.
Despite enjoying a very successful period in football, Riwai wanted the women’s team to taste that feeling too, and rejoined them for Tokyo 2020.
Riwai was on fire in the group stages, scoring in every group game as the Fijians qualified for the quarter-finals in second place.
There, a daunting fixture against reigning Olympic champions Australia lay before them. But Fiji were not perturbed, and pulled off the shock of the tournament to win 14-12, with Riwai’s two successful conversions proving the difference.
Unfortunately, the Pacific islanders were to come off on the wrong side of another epic encounter in their semi-final against New Zealand, going down 22-17 after extra time.
But there was no time to dwell on that heartbreaking loss, as the third-place playoff and the Fijian women’s own slice of history, was still up for grabs.
It speaks volumes as to the courage of this group that the team were able to regroup and beat Great Britain 21-12 later the same day, with Riwai notching three more conversions, to seal third place and take home a thoroughly-deserved bronze medal from Japan.
Inspiring women to break barriers
Riwai has stuck with the rugby team ever since, and played another starring role in Fiji's silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Next up for the team is the 2023, Pacific Games, before the revamped SVNS series, and the Paris 2024 Olympics in August.
But her motivation to play international sport is not the pursuit of accolades; the gifted athlete simply wants to make her nation proud and give joy to the people back home watching them.
There is another important factor behind Riwai’s decision to play two sports at an elite level too: she wants to show young women that they can succeed in male-dominated sports.
“I play both sports because of the talent that I have. I wanted to make use of it and let the young ones know that women can play both football and rugby,” Riwai told FBC News.
“I am not only representing myself when I play for Fiji, but also my family and the entire population of our country.
“I always give it everything I’ve got because I enjoy playing, and the people give me the drive and the energy to give my best when I am on the field.”
“The only challenge for us is to maintain Fiji’s performances, and make our nation proud.”