The national sport of Fiji is considered to be rugby union (see rugby union in Fiji), however rugby league is also widely played.

Sports culture is unique as different racial mixes and cultures come together in a common interest, Fiji is fanatical about sports and the two most dominant being rugby and soccer.

Sports in precolonial Fiji

Sports in old Fiji apart from recreation had a practical place helping train young warriors, one such a practice would have the older men bring the male children a severally injured captive of war the boys would practice their archery skills against this living target.

However not all ancient sports were so gruesome.

Fiji Sports Council

The Fiji Sports Council is an organisation incharge of organising International tournaments for Fiji athletes. It is also one of the leading provider of quality sports & recreational facilities & programs at national, regional and international levels. It was established in 1978 under the Fiji Sports Council Act and year later in 1979, it hosted the first South Pacific Games. It was recently incharge of hosting the 2007 Netball World Championships which was to be held in Suva but due to the 2006 Military coup, the venue was shifted to New Zealand and Fiji lost out in hosting the biggest event of the year. It is also affiliated to FASANOC. The organisation is headed by its Chairman Tom Ricketts (Fiji politician)

Rugby union

The national team is quite successful, and has competed at four Rugby World Cups, the first being in 1987, which has also thus so far been their best result when they reached the quarter finals. Fiji also competes in the Pacific Tri-Nations and the Pacific Nations Cup.

The sport is governed by the Fiji Rugby Union which is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, and contributes to the Pacific Islanders rugby union team. At the club level there are the Colonial Cup and Pacific Rugby Cup. The Fiji sevens team is the most successful rugby 7s team in the world and has won 2 world cup titles and last years IRB Series.

Soccer

Soccer was a minor sport but over the last decade with further international funding from FIFA and sound local management of the sport has grown in popularity amongst the Indian community initially but now also the Fijian community.

Australian rules football

While there is not currently an organised league in Fiji, the country is notable in Australian Football as several players of Fijian descent play professionally in the Australian Football League, including Port Adelaide's David Rodan and Alipate Carlile and Carlton's Setanta Ó hAilpín.

Australian rules football has been played sporadically in Fiji, with efforts starting using Australian police officers based in the capital Suva in 2004.^[1] A planned league never came to fruition, however a governing body was formed, the Fijian Australian Football Association with a partial promotional role and a failed bid was made for inclusion of the sport into the 2007 South Pacific Games.^[2]

The Australia Network began televising games in Fiji in 2002.

David Rodan has acted as an international ambassador for the sport and has a passion to see the sport succeed in Fiji.^[3]

Nicholas Naitanui, AIS graduate^[4] and best on ground in the Western Australian Under 18s squad which won the Under 18s Australian Football championship is an almost certain pick for the 2007 AFL Draft.^[5]

Other Sports

Many sports exist in Fiji and in many ways has its on cultural following, sports such as golf which has been made famous by Fiji athlete Vijay Singh, cricket, surfing, windsurfing which was brought to prominence by former world champion and Fiji Athlete Tony Philps, Sailing in varying forms, various adventure sports, athletics, various Asian martial arts and boxing.

Famous Fijian sportsmen

• Vijay Singh, a professional golfer.
• Waisale Serevi, a world-renowned sevens rugby player, is from Fiji. Commentators refer to him as the magician, or maestro also the King of Sevens. No.1 sevens player in the world with William Ryder closely following his footsteps
• Lote Tuqiri, dual code international for Australia in rugby league and rugby union, and former captain of the Fiji national rugby league team.
• Petero Civoniceva, representative footballer for the Australia national rugby league team.
• Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko are Fijians who play for New Zealand's All Blacks.
• Rupeni Caucau plays for a French rugby union club.
• David Rodan and Alipate Carlile, professional Australian rules footballers in the Australian Football League.