The Pacific Island nation of Fiji erupted into celebration on Friday after its rugby sevens team defeated Britain to capture the countrys first Olympic medal. The fact it was gold made it even more of a reason to party.In the capital of Suva, fans packed the 15,000-seat National Stadium to watch the final of the Olympic tournament on a big screen. Tense at first as they saw the nation poised on the brink of an historic achievement, fans relaxed as Fiji ran away to an emphatic 43-7 victory on Thursday evening in Rio de Janeiro.Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, in Rio for the games, issued a statement hailing a wonderful moment in the history of our nation. We have won our first gold medal at a summer Olympic Games and every Fijian is rejoicing at home and around the world.Speaking to the media later, Bainimarama recalled Cyclone Winston which struck Fiji in February, claiming the lives of 44 people and causing widespread devastation.You know we had Winston, the second-biggest hurricane that swept through Fiji in February, he said. Rugby has always lifted the spirit and always brought us together. Right now, whatever political party, theres no difference. Everyone is coming together to celebrate.Bainimarama said Fiji was a tiny little dot but the Olympic victory would put it on the map.The match was played at 10 a.m. local time and the nation of around 900,000 mostly stopped as fans gathered around television sets. At the University of the South Pacific in Suva, classes were halted to allow students to watch the match.A bank in Suva pinned a note to its front door saying: Fiji is about to create history. Therefore, please be advised that this branch will take a 30-minute break during Fijis game ... and will reopen after that.National carrier Fiji Airways said it would be serving only Fijian beer on its flights in in a gesture of celebration. A post on the airlines official Twitter account said history is for the brave, for the warriors and the proud. Today, pride soars!The Fiji Times reported fans danced in the street and said many called for Fijis England-born coach Ben Ryan to be granted honorary Fiji citizenship.It said some of them (fans) could not hold back their emotions and shed tears of joy as Ryan and his team brought glory to the country.Part of Suvas bustling Victoria Parade was closed as fans danced in the street.As the final whistle sounded ... people took to the streets of Suva with the Fiji flag, dancing and running from one end to the other, the Times said.At the offices of the Fiji Olympic Committee, staff began planning for the teams return and for national victory celebrations. A spokesman said it was too soon to say what form those celebrations would take.But Bainimarama said a wonderful reception awaits our boys when they arrive back in Fiji .. never before has the Fijian spirit soared so high as it does today.In deeply religious Fiji, fans visited churches to give thanks for the victory and some said they had fasted in the hope of improving Fijis gold medal chances.Rugby sevens is Fijis national sport and almost every village, no matter how small, usually has a team. Some villages do not have electricity, creating a challenge for some fans to watch the game.The Fiji Village website reported that 51-year-old Peni Matai from the village of Serua had traveled by minibus from 2 a.m. Friday to be in Suva in time for the game. Matai, who works for the Asian Development Bank, said Serua has no television reception.He watched the match in his office in Suva, providing updates to the village by phone.Fiji-born former All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko tweeted that sellers of powerful local beverage kava might be multi-millionaires by the end of the week.---McMorran is based in Wellington, New Zealand. AP journalist Nick Perry in Wellington and sports writer John Pye in Rio de Janiero contributed to this story. Dallas Cowboys Mike White Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Dallas Cowboys Dorance Armstrong Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. http://www.cheapcowboysjerseys.us/dallas-cowboys-dalton-schultz-jersey/ . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. 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Weve always been considered second best to [North America].But theres reason to believe the tides might be shifting with the European scene riding a wave of success heading into the Call of Duty World Championship in September. No longer just an afterthought, there are a handful of teams from Europe that could make waves at the big event with Splyce leading the charge.Every year, we say this year we might actually be as good as [North America], but this year, I genuinely believe it, Sheppard continued.The narrative is changing surrounding the European Call of Duty scene, and Splyce is at the forefront of the conversation.Success starts at homeStarting in the European Stage 1 playoffs earlier this year in March, where the upstart team were considered an afterthought, Splyce blitzed through its quarterfinal matchup against exceL eSports and semifinal matchup against Team Infused, landing itself a spot in the Stage 1 finals. More importantly, it was in the conversation for the best Call of Duty team in Europe.I think it was a big shock for everyone, including myself, if Im being honest, said Sheppard. Even though its bad to say, I was somewhat a doubter of our team until that run.While Splyce would ultimately lose in the finals of Stage 1 to Millenium 4-1, a series that Sheppard swears could have went Splyces way if not for a few unlucky moments, it was clear the European scene was on the rise. Now, the region just needed to prove their mettle against American competition.In June, the best teams around the world traveled to Zenith, Paris to compete at the Esports World Convention 2016. For many teams, this would be their first taste of international competition. Three North American teams -- OpTic Gaming, Rise Nation, FaZe Clan -- attended the 16-team event. Never mind which team could knock the North American teams off the stage, the overwhelming question from fans and casters was which European team would claim fourth place.But after battling through the group stage event and securing a position within the championship bracket, Splyce was put in position to make a statement for Europe. It started by knocking off FaZe Clan 3-0 in the quarterfinals before defeating Rise Nation 3-2 in the ssemifinals.ddddddddddddStanding in its way of a first place finish was OpTic Gaming, the North American giant that just claimed the North American Stage 1 crown weeks earlier, capping off a brilliant performance during the regular season.If defeating OpTic Gaming was the next hurdle to jump over en route to making a name for European Call of Duty, then Splyce came to an abrupt halt. OpTic Gaming would go on to sweep Splyce 3-0 in the finals, a moment that Sheppard regards with irritation. He would begrudgingly admit his team got destroyed.Still, the bitter loss didnt overshadow all the success Splyce earned throughout the tournament. To get where we did was still really good, he said.A week later, European teams attended the next international event, Major League Gaming Anaheim, to mixed results. While all three teams from across the pond (Splyce, Team Infused, Millenium) made it into the Championship Winners Bracket after surviving a brutal open qualifier, only Team Infused advanced into the quarterfinals and promptly lost to eLevate 3-2. Splyce, to its credit, placed in the Top 12, but Sheppard admitted the results could have been much better.For as dominant as Splyce has looked in 2016, its important to note the team has only managed to secure one title in July: a win at the Gfinity Call of Duty World League Summer Masters. But in order to look dominant, a team must first be in the conversation, a relatively new role for Splyce.Whats next?Even with a disappointing run at Major League Gaming Anaheim, Splyces performance during Stage 2 (at one point, its record was 11-1) has merit and has kept it within the conversation for best team in Europe. A resounding sweep of HyperGames to claim first place in the Gfinity CWL Summer Masters certainly brings some credence to the idea as well. But another playoff run like what it put together in Stage 1 will be critical -- not just for the teams confidence and place within Europe -- but for its reputation outside of it.100 percent, we are the best team in Europe, said Sheppard. Coming off Gfinity, we know well be confident and we can beat anyone, including the American teams. Its just important we are always at that level because it is hard to maintain it.A finals win at the Stage 2 playoffs doesnt just come with a monetary prize; it comes saddled with an entire regions hopes and expectations. After winning the playoffs, the pressure has only just begun. And the pressure is something Splyce relishes. Wholesale Jerseys 2019Cheap Jerseys 2020Wholesale NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys Free ShippingCheap JerseysChina JerseysWholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '