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Fiji to honour sevens team on bank notes

08:37 am on 22 April 2017

The Fiji government will release new 7 Fijian dollar banknotes and 50 cent coins to honour the rugby sevens team that won the gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Gold medalists Fiji celebrate during the men’s rugby sevens medal ceremony during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 11, 2016. Photo: AFP/Pascal Guyot

The Fiji rugby team won the country's first Olympic Gold, the nation's first ever Olympics medal, by beating Great Britain 43-7 in the rugby sevens final at last year's competition.

Two million 7 Fiji dollar banknotes and one million 50 cent coins with images of captain Osea Kolinisau, former coach Ben Ryan and the team.

Ryan, who is Fiji's most successful coach, was previously awarded the Companion of the Order of Fiji and three acres of land after he stepped down as coach in 2016. He is currently a consultant for the Welsh Rugby Union.

-Reuters