Kolinisau, the coach of the Fiji Sevens, wants to try again for gold.
Head coach of the Fiji men’s rugby sevens team, Osea Kolinisau, hopes to lead the team to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Four months prior to the Olympic Games in Paris, when the hosts France won gold in the Stade de France, Kolinisau became leadership of the team and they added a silver medal to the golds they had already won in Rio and Tokyo. This week, Kolinisau is scheduled to meet with the Fiji Rugby Union interim Trustees to discuss his post-Paris plans. He anticipates learning next week whether he will be given the opportunity to lead the team to the upcoming Olympics.
“My heart has always been for Fiji and I love the opportunity to build that team for the next four years,” Kolinisau, the captain of the team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said in an interview with the Fiji Sun. “The team now has a lot of young players, but I also have to consider my family.” If I’m permitted to stay for four years, I’ll be thrilled, if the family agrees.
I’ll find out what they desire. It’s up to them, but I want to stay. Right now, I’m proud of the core of the team. Many young people in the 24–26 age range. We are aware of the level at which we are expected to perform. If given the chance, we can expand upon the foundation we already have. “Look, I am a fan of what he has done; he came in with only four months and we went from not achieving anything from 22 tournaments to silver in the Olympics,” stated Peter Mazey, interim chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union Board of Trustees. That’s a truly amazing accomplishment,” he exclaimed.
“He retained some of the older guys and brought in some fresh blood, but his current contract only lasts until September, which he wanted.” After our conversation, he is eager to continue. On that, the board will undoubtedly collaborate with him.