RUGBY SEVENS

Status of coach tinges Fijian joy

Fiji's euphoria following its historic Olympic gold medal in rugby sevens could be tinged with sadness, with Sports Minister Laisenia Tuitubou warning on Tuesday that the nation might not be able to afford to retain coach Ben Ryan.

Tuitubou told the Fiji Times the country could only hope the Englishman's love for the South Pacific island nation and its rugby flair would be enough to convince him to stay.

Ryan's value as a sevens coach rocketed after he guided Fiji to gold in Rio to give the country its first Olympic medal.

"To have Ben after the accomplishment that he made, we cannot afford," Tuitubou said, adding that Fiji would not be able to match offers coming in from other nations.

Ryan said he wants to take a break after the Games before deciding on his future. Tuitubou hopes Fiji can trump foreign bidders by appealing to Ryan on an emotional level.

TRACK AND FIELD

Allegiance rules to be reviewed

The International Association of Athletics Federations, led by Sebastian Coe, is exploring tightening the rules that allow athletes to switch the country they represent in track and field.

The IAAF has discussed the issue during the Games and it is on the agenda for Saturday's council meeting, the sport's governing body said.

On the eve of the Olympics, the IAAF allowed 85 athletes to compete for new countries, including 12 now on the Bahrain team after previously representing African or Caribbean nations.

"It is time to review the transfer of allegiance rules to see if they are still applicable to today," the IAAF said.

"It's like many of our rules - they need to be reviewed over a period of time. It is right to review these rules now."