Fiji Celebrates Rugby Triumph at Olympics

The Reserve Bank of Fiji has issued a commemorative $7 banknote to celebrate the achievements of its Rugby 7s teams at the Tokyo Olympics, where the men’s and women’s teams picked up a gold and a bronze medal respectively.

Rugby is something of a national passion in Fiji, and a commemorative note was also issued in 2017 to celebrate the triumph of the team at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where the Pacific island nation picked up its first ever medal.

The $7 banknote pictures the national sevens men’s team in gold on the reverse, and the Fijiana sevens team in bronze on the front.

This latest note has been produced by Oberthur Fiduciaire. The substrate has been coated with the anti-viral and anti-bacterial Bioguard™ Varnish. It features a Combifluo™ security thread and an Avalon™ fluorescent security feature with reverse colour change.

According to Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who unveiled the new note, the Bank has produced enough to ensure that every Fijian will be able to get one, but that production has been limited to ensure its value as a collectors item. Special collector sets are also available through the Reserve Bank.

Speaking at the launch ceremony in Suva, capital of Fiji, the Prime Minister said that at one of Fiji’s most trying times in combating COVID-19, the rugby teams brought hope to the Fijian people. He added that he hoped Fiji would be in a position to produce an equivalent note every four years (ie. that Fiji will continue its winning streak).

In support of the Fijian government’s on-going climate change initiatives, the Reserve Bank of Fiji has pledged to offset carbon emissions from the production of the commemorative banknote against one of the planned green initiatives earmarked by the government.