Fiji can make history by winning their first Olympic medal in any sport when men’s rugby returns to the programme at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after a 92-year absence.

The Fijians head into the sevens competition at the Deodoro Stadium from 9 to 11 August as the top seeds after sealing their second successive title in the World Rugby Sevens Series in May in London.

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When rugby was last played at the Olympic Games - as 15-a-side at Paris 1924 - the event was won by USA, then a country with 500 Olympic medals and a population of over 100 million people.

This time, the South Pacific island nation of Fiji (pop. 900,000), is the side which the rest of the world fear in the first ever Olympic men's rugby sevens tournament.

Fiji have a long tradition of success, playing a fast and physical game with slick handling and offloading. Despite their past success, the World Sevens Series showed that it is often hard to predict which team will come out on top in any tournament.

Six different countries won the 10 rounds of action in the series with Fiji and New Zealand taking three apiece and South Africa, Kenya, Samoa and Scotland winning one each.

South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, who took the three spots behind Fiji in the overall series standings, are all expected to feature strongly in Rio.

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"We have seen in the sevens world series, six different countries win the 10 tournaments. It is so exciting. Basically it is anyone's tournament,” said New Zealand’s veteran coach Gordon Tietjens. "Unfortunately the game of sevens is ruthless. One defining moment can decide a result.”

The Kiwis include the talented centre Sonny Bill Williams twice a World Cup winner with the All Blacks in the 15-a-side game. Williams has said that winning a gold medal would be a greater achievement for him than his World Cup triumphs.

Sonny Bill Williams meets fans at the Olympic Village (Getty Images/Ryan Pierse)

But the Kiwis have come into the Rio competition talking about being underdogs - a rare experience for the 2011 and 2015 15-a-side Rugby World Cup winners.

The top teams possess plenty of individual pace and power for the Deodoro Stadium crowd to enjoy such South Africa’s Seabelo Senatla, Great Britain's Dan Norton and Fiji's Osea Kolinisau. But it is the overall flamboyant team play from the Fijians which could be the highlight of the tournament.

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