Man, Fiji’s 7s rugby always looked like magic to me. They just move different, you know? Saw them smash another team in the highlights and thought, “Right, gotta figure out how they actually do it.” Decided to spend a whole week just watching their old games, not just watching but really looking. Took out my notepad and everything.
First Step: Just Watching and Getting Confused
Sat down with a bunch of old tournament replays. At first, it’s just chaos. Seriously, it’s so fast! Everyone runs, passes, tackles… feels messy. But then you start noticing little things repeating.
The Stuff That Kept Popping Up
- That Weird Fake Handoff Thing: Kept seeing the ball carrier sprint straight at someone, draw them in, and then just… shove the ball out the back real quick before they even get tackled. Not a big pass, just a sneaky little push to a guy running right behind him. It happened all the time. Dude draws two defenders, the defenders think they got him, then BAM, ball pops out behind them to someone with more space. Tried drawing how this worked on my pad – looked like a snake shedding skin or something!
- All About the Arms in the Tackle: Seriously, these guys almost never go to ground with the ball. Even when they’re about to get creamed, their arm is usually already out, flicking the ball away to a teammate. It’s crazy. Makes turnovers super hard because they keep the ball alive constantly.
- No Standing Still, Like Ever: Seems obvious, right? But I mean NOBODY stops. If someone catches the ball facing the wrong way, they just spin and go, or pass immediately. No checking the defense, no thinking. Catch, move. If the guy with the ball gets slowed down, two or three other Fijians are already swarming past him looking for that little pop pass. They just flow forward.
Trying It Out Myself (Spoiler: It Was Messy)
Went down to the park with a couple mates next weekend, buzzing to try this “Fiji-style.” Yeah… easier said than done.
- First go at that sneaky pop pass? Absolute disaster. Meant to draw a defender and pop it out the back. Drew the defender alright, got absolutely flattened because I held it too long trying to see my mate behind me. Ball went flying backwards… straight into touch. My mates were cracking up.
- Tried the offload in the tackle thing. Managed one decent one while stumbling, but mostly just got the ball knocked loose trying to force it, or just threw stupid hospital passes. Need way better timing and trust.
- The constant motion? Exhausting! Trying to always be running support lines and expecting that offload… lungs were burning. Plus, it needs everyone on the same page.
Felt a bit embarrassing, honestly. Looked so smooth when Fiji did it!
What Actually Stuck (After All That Falling Over)
- That Pop Pass is Gold: Once we practiced the timing (me running straight, mate behind really close), it started working! Key is releasing it before you think you need to. Don’t wait! Commit the defender, then release it early. Even a sloppy one creates chaos.
- Offloads Need Discipline: I learned you can’t force it every time. But consciously thinking “ARM OUT” when going into contact? Makes you try harder to keep the ball free. Got a few decent ones later on. Feels amazing when it works.
- Keep Your Feet Moving: This is the biggest one, honestly. Even without fancy offloads, just never stopping dead. Catch, spin, run. If slowed, look for a short pass. Stopping kills Fiji ball. Constant small movements make it happen.
So yeah, learned Fiji isn’t some secret playbook. It’s more like a whole mindset: constant motion, surprise those little pop passes, fight like mad to keep the ball alive with offloads. Looks like magic on TV, feels like hard work in the park. But man, when those offloads start connecting and everyone’s running… even a little bit of Fiji magic is awesome. Gotta keep working on it!