Portal:Oceania/Selected article/December, 2007
Rugby union is considered to be the national sport of Fiji. The sport was introduced in the 1880s. Fiji is defined as a tier two rugby nation by the International Rugby Board (IRB). The national team has competed at the Rugby World Cup and made it as far as the quarter finals. Their sevens team are current world champions.
The Fiji national rugby union team have competed at four World Cups since the tournament was first held in 1987. They made the quarter-finals in 1987 and in 1999. Fiji also participates in the IRB Pacific 5 Nations with Samoa, Tonga, Japan and the Junior All Blacks, and the Pacific Tri-Nations with Tonga and Samoa.
Fiji are one of the most successful sevens nations. The Fiji Sevens won the Hong Kong Sevens tournament in 1977, and have since won it another eight times. They are also the only side to have won the Rugby World Cup Sevens on two occasions; in 1997 and in 2005. At the 2006 event, Fiji became the 2006 World Sevens Series champions.