Feared Fijian rugby players show they are really gentle giants during mid-flight emergency
World champions, who are among favourites for Olympic gold at Rio 2016, served food and collected rubbish as cabin crew focused on helping sick passenger
Fiji are renowned for being specialists in the seven-a-side game (Getty Images/Mark Runnacles)
They are known for their ferocious tackling, fast running and ruthless dominance of their opponents. But the Fiji rugby sevens team, one of the favourites for Olympic gold at the Rio 2016 Games, showed their softer side during a recent mid-flight emergency.
The no.1 ranked Fijians, who became one of the first teams to qualify for rugby sevens’ Olympic debut in Brazil when they won the 2014/15 World Series, were on route from from Nadi, Fiji to Brisbane, Australia on Thursday (26 November) when a woman fell seriously ill on the plane.
The cabin crew, who were busy serving lunch, stopped and rushed to her aid, as did the Fijian team doctor, coach and physiotherapist, plus two passengers from the medical profession, according to passenger Ryan Fee.
Wanting to do their bit, the hulking players then took over the serving of the meal, allowing the cabin crew to focus on helping the woman, who was falling in and out of consciousness, according to Fee. The Fiji players even collected all the trays and rubbish after lunch.
The Fijian players collect up the post-lunch rubbish (Photo: Ryan Fee)
“When the air hostesses were all flustered the team got up to finish serving food and then assisted with the clean up of trays for the entire plane,” Fee told the Australian media.
He added that one Fijian player even assisted with the treatment of the elderly woman, holding her oxygen mask over her face for over an hour. “It was the complete personification of the Fijian people, they were completely selfless” Fee said. “It was just beautiful.”
According to reports, the woman is now recovering from her ordeal and the airline thanked the players, saying: “Not only were our crew appreciative of the support provided but they were also very impressed with the professional standard of the players’ work.”
The Fiji team was on the first leg its journey to Dubai, where they will begin the defence of their Sevens World Series title on December 4.
Rugby will return to the Olympic Games in Rio after a 92-year absence, where it will be played in the sevens format. Find all about this exciting sport with our interactive infographic.
