Portugal, who beat them, might think otherwise, but the story of the pool stages of this World Cup has been the arrival of Fiji as a contender among the big nations. Rugby still unashamedly distinguishes between its tier-one nations and tier two. Fiji, as they were in 2007, are this edition’s tier-two interlopers among the quarter-final elite, when they eyeball England in Sunday’s afternoon match in Marseille.
This time they mean to stay. The success of the national side and the establishment of a first professional team on the islands, in the shape of Fijian Drua, is not a coincidence. Fiji is the most populous of the Pacific island nations and by far the most talented at rugby, those hardy peoples scattered throughout the vastest ocean on earth. Everyone on planet rugby has long known that the only barriers between the Pacific islands and meaningful success have been resources, organisation and regular fixtures. As simple and as complicated as that.
