Ben Ryan led Fiji’s rugby sevens team to its first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games. Fiji defeated Great Britain 43–7 in the men’s final on August 11, 2016.
Ryan became head coach of Fiji’s national sevens team in 2013. Under his leadership, Fiji won consecutive World Rugby Sevens Series titles in 2014–15 and 2015–16, establishing itself as the dominant team entering rugby sevens’ Olympic debut. The fast, expansive style associated with Fiji produced a record-setting final performance.
The gold medal was not only Fiji’s first Olympic championship but also its first Olympic medal of any kind. Ryan stepped down after the Games and was later awarded the Companion of the Order of Fiji. Simon Amor coached Great Britain, the losing finalist; Mike Friday coached the United States, while Gordon Tietjens was associated with New Zealand’s sevens program.