We’re all about the USA here at Rio Olympics Central, but now that the U.S. men’s team is out of medal contention in Rugby Sevens, it’s hard not to root for Fiji. The island nation of just more than 900,000 people has never won an Olympic medal in any sport — but came into the Rio as the favorites in the first rugby competition since 1924, and have not disappointed.
Fiji, which won its group stage at 3-0, takes on Japan today in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. (ET, NBCSN). It got there with a 12-7 win over New Zealand in the quarterfinals — and a fact not lost on the folks back home is that New Zealand introduced the sport to Fiji in 1874.