In the moments just after back-to-back Olympic gold medals were secured, the giants of Fiji’s triumphant sevens team slumped to the turf, tears pouring from their eyes.
Footage from moments after t he final whistle of Fiji’s 27-12 win showed several players, Vilimoni Botitu among them, on their knees in a line as the All Blacks Sevens stood respectfully in the background.
The emotional outpouring comes after the players have gone months without seeing their families as Covid wreaked havoc on the island nation.
The team then marked the occasion in traditional fashion, singing the hymn Eda Sa Qaqa – which features the lyrics "we have overcome".
The gold is Fiji’s second-ever Olympic medal and comes as the official Covid death toll on the islands passes 200.
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