Monday, 15 August 2016

Crouch, Bind, Set! Lights, Camera, Action!

"And the Fiji Mens' Rugby 7s Team wins the gold medal in Rio!!!" Mark my words, there will be, or certainly should be, a movie made about Fiji's 2016 Olympic Gold Medal. Here's a country whose athletes had not previously won an Olympic medal with a team made up of big, strong men, whose individual stories are fascinating. Picture whole villages cheering on their son, brother, or uncle. One key player has vision in only one eye. Two of their mates played on the opposing Japan team in the quarter finals. Cut to their ginger haired, young British coach shouting encouragement as they train by running up and down the Sigatoka sand dunes along Fiji's Coral Coast. The whole country loves them and sings hymns as they play. Fans in Rio, wearing Fiji team shirts, and blue wigs, waving beautiful sky blue Fiji flags, are recognized on television by our friends here. "Oh look, there's Brother So and So!" Prime Minister Bainamarama declares Monday, August 22nd a national holiday as the team arrives back in Fiji. The team prays when they win the final match and kneels, out of respect, when Princess Anne presents them with their gold medals. The country goes wild with dancing in the streets, flags waving, cars honking, and music everywhere. The movie could be called The Flying Fijians (their official name), Bula Vinaka (thanks for life), or Crouch, Bind, Set! (shouted by the referee as they form a scrum). For the movie you've got beautiful scenery, island music, dancing, strength, overcoming great odds, excitement, and on and on. OK, anyone have a friend working for Disney Studios?