Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says his government will not interfere with the work of the country’s anti-corruption body following the latest turn of events involving a British-Fijian national.

On Monday, Charlie Charters, a former Fiji Rugby administrator and a journalist, was released on bail by the Suva Magistrates Court after being charged with aiding and abetting an unknown Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) whistleblower into releasing confidential information from the agency.

Charters, 57, was en route to Sydney on Saturday but was held at Nadi International Airport and reportedly asked by FICAC officers to reveal his sources in order to proceed with his scheduled flight.

• READ MORE: Arrest and charges against British-Fijian national spark free speech concerns
• FICAC defends silence in Charlie Charters case amid social media commentary
• Charters bailed and stop departure issued
• Other FICAC reports

He reportedly declined to comply and as a result spent two nights in FICAC custody before appearing in court yesterday. He has been released on strict bail conditions and has been ordered to surrender his travel documents.

Charters’ arrest comes amid a deepening constitutional crisis at FICAC.

According to local media, Fiji’s Judicial Services Commission, the body responsible for making recommendations to Fijian President on constitutional officers, is of the view that the appointment of FICAC’s current head Lavi Rokoika was not legal.

It makes the saga significantly complicated for Rabuka, as Rokoika was appointed in May last year following the sacking of FICAC’s previous chief, Barbara Malimali.

Appointment unlawful
While Rabuka said that the decision to dismiss Malimali was in response to the findings of a 650-page Commission of Inquiry led by Judge David Ashton-Lewis, the Fiji High Court has now ruled Malimali’s appointment was “unlawful”.

Charters has been using his Facebook platform to highlight what he describes as shortcomings of Rabuka’s coalition government which came into power in December 2022.

His posts have focused mainly on governance concerns, including issues at FICAC.

His arrest, detention, and charges have heightened anxiety among politicians, advocates and the public about FICAC and Rokoika using intimidation tactics — tactics for which the previous FijiFirst administration was accused.

“We will not interfere [with FICAC],” Rabuka told reporters in Suva when asked about the situation.

He said Fiji did not have a whistleblower policy but it needed one.

However, he added that questions needed to be asked about “how do we know that the whistleblower is genuine and the facts that they raised are factual”.

“Those are the things that will have to be considered before we formulate the policy on whistleblowing.”

Meanwhile, the case against Charters has been adjourned until March 2.

FICAC said the matter was now before the court and would proceed according to due process.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The arrest and detention of a dual Fijian and British national by Fiji’s anti-corruption agency over the weekend has sparked concerns about freedom of expression from the country’s politicians, advocates and journalists.

Charlie Charters, a former senior manager at the Fiji Rugby Union and a journalist, is in custody at the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) headquarters in Suva.

He was charged in the Suva Magistrates Court today following reports by local news media at the weekend that he was being held “on suspicion of aiding and abetting a FICAC whistleblower”.

• READ MORE: FICAC defends silence in Charlie Charters case amid social media commentary
• Charters bailed and stop departure issued
• Other FICAC reports

According to local media, Charters, 57, has written extensively about the inner workings of FICAC and the Fiji Sports Council, citing publicly available documents and his own sources.

He was scheduled to depart from Nadi International Airport for Sydney on Saturday.

However, he was stopped by FICAC officials and offered a “deal” to reveal his sources and carry on with his planned travel.

“But the terms of that deal were not acceptable to me or any right-thinking citizen. As a result I was arrested,” Charters said in a statement to Fiji media.

Fiji media ‘alarmed’
The Fijian Media Association (FMA) said it was “alarmed” at the anti-corruption agency’s actions.

“The detainment and arrest [of Charters] look like a re-enactment of scenes from a dark past that we fought hard to be free from,” it said in a statement.

The country’s Judicial Services Commission (JSC), which appoints the head of FICAC, held an emergency meeting on Sunday.

The JSC confirmed that it would make “certain recommendations” to Fijian President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, including the arrest of Charters by end of business on Monday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Fiji Times reports FICAC has defended its decision not to comment publicly on the investigation involving Charters, saying it would have been inappropriate to do so while inquiries were ongoing, regardless of commentary circulating on social media.

In a statement issued today, FICAC confirmed that Charters appeared before the Suva Magistrates’ Court and has been charged with two counts of aiding and abetting, contrary to Section 45 of the Crimes Act 2009, read together with Section 13G(1) of the FICAC Act 2007.

Section 13G of the FICAC Act makes it an offence for an officer or former officer of the Commission to divulge official information without written authorisation.

Section 45 of the Crimes Act provides that a person who aids and abets the commission of an offence is deemed to have committed that offence and is punishable accordingly.

Granted bail
Fiji Village reports Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne granted Charters, who lives in Hong Kong, $2000 bail and he was barred from travel and the case was adjourned until March 2.

Charters had earlier said in a letter written from FICAC custody last night that he had been approached by whistleblower(s) with the information that FICAC had hired the daughter of the Fiji Sports Council CEO just days after FICAC had cleared the same CEO of converting a public sponsorship for private benefit.

The letter by Charters said That he was offered a “deal” at Nadi International Airport on Saturday to tell FICAC about the whistleblower(s) and he could get on his flight.

Charters said FICAC “campaigns relentlessly” for public and private bodies to set up whistleblower policies but FICAC itself had no such whistleblower policy.

Entrepreneurs, professionals, families and community leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand came together last night for the inaugural Fiji Business Awards NZ, reports Webfit News.

Hosted by the Fiji Business Network (NZ) at Auckland’s Remuera Club and backed by platinum sponsor Bunnings Trade, the evening was a reminder that many Fiji businesses in New Zealand have started from humble beginnings — often with little capital but a determined drive.

And these businesses are now creating jobs, mentoring others and giving back to the community on both sides of the Pacific.

• READ MORE: Other Fiji business reports

The Fiji Business Network is a not-for-profit group of business owners and professionals with links to Fiji.

“Its focus is simple but powerful,” said one of the organisers. “Help members connect, share referrals, support start-ups, and invest back into Aotearoa New Zealand, Fiji, and the wider Pacific.”

Network president Atesh Bhej, managing director of the Biz Group of companies, told participants that many in the Fiji business community had arrived in New Zealand with  little money, worked long hours, and slowly built something strong for their families and communities.

“For many guests, this awards night was not only about trophies,” said network secretary Nik Naidu. “It was also about seeing their journeys recognised in public.”

Naidu and the network’s committee pulled together an impressive range of finalists and a strong judging panel, including former All Black Keven Mealamu (MNZM) and board member of several organisations such as Fit60 HQ Training and NZ Rugby.

Winners included Trivision Entertainment Ltd (Small Business of the Year) and Feroz Aswat of Auckland Copiers and Solutions Ltd (Business Leader of the Year).

• Full report at Webfit News

Fiji Business Awards NZ 2025.           Video: Webfit News

A feature story authored by a student journalist highlighting the harm plastic pollution poses to human health in Fiji — with risks expected to rise significantly if robust action is not taken soon — has won the Online category of the 2024 Vision Pasifika Media Awards — Cleaner Pacific.

Riya Bhagwan, a Fiji national studying journalism at The University of the South Pacific (USP), won the prize with her Wansolwara story, titled Behind the stalled progress in Fiji’s plastic pollution battle, reports the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

USP student journalists won two out of four categories in the awards.

• READ MORE: The 2024 Vision Pasifika Media Award winners

Launched during the 7th Pacific Media Summit by Niue’s Prime Minister, Dalton Tagelagi, the awards celebrate excellence in environmental news reporting across the Pacific Island region.

The theme, Cleaner Pacific, spotlights the urgent need to tackle plastic pollution, one of the triple planetary crises threatening the planet, alongside climate change and biodiversity loss.

A story titled Managing Solid Waste in Gizo, a tough task, by award-winning Solomon Islands journalist, Moffat Mamu, of the Solomon Star, and also a USP graduate, won the Print category.

Coverage of the Vatuwaqa Rugby Club’s efforts to keep their community clean, by Fijian journalist Joeli Tikomaimaleya of Fiji TV, picked up the Television category.

Student award winner
The Student Journalism Award was won by Niko Ratumaimuri, of USP, for his story in Wansolwara highlighting a call by young Fijians to keep the country plastic free.

The 2024 Vision Pasifika Media Awards is a partnership facilitated by SPREP with the Australian government through support for Pacific engagement in the INC on plastic pollution and the Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP), Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) and the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA).

SPREP Director-General Sefanaia Nawadra said: “We are drowning under a sea of waste! The Pacific media is critical in ensuring we in the Pacific understand the challenges of waste and pollution and share ways we can work towards its effective management.

“Many of our waste issues originate from outside our region and our Pacific media must help our countries advocate for global action on waste especially plastic.”

Kara Ravulo was halfway through her university studies when her father became sick, ultimately leading her to defer school to help support her family. After he died, Ravulo’s mother’s wise words encouraged her to go back and complete her studies.

But it was Ravulo’s perseverance and dedication that led her to where she is now.

With the rise of female athletes across Fiji, it has opened a door for not only women athletes to be in the media but also for women journalists reporting on sports media.

• READ MORE: Other reports in the QUT Fiji Project series

Almost every media outlet in Fiji boasts a woman sports journalist.

As the media and content officer at the Fijian Drua, Kara Ravulo is a trailblazer in the Fijian sports and communication sector. When she began her role, Fiji had never had a woman media officer for a male sporting team.

Ravulo, who has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of the South Pacific, found herself longing for something more, when she saw an advertisement for a position available at the Fiji Sun newspaper.

Ravulo expressed a gracious thanks to God after she was offered a position at the Fiji Sun, where she covered the news and business sectors before the sports editor approached her about becoming a sports journalist.

‘This is what I want’
“They tested me out. The sports editor was like, ‘Do you want to write sports stories?’ and I was like ‘I can try’.”

“Then they put me on sports and when I started doing it and started doing interviews I was like, ‘I think this is what I want to be’.”

After three years as the sports journalist at the Sun, Ravulo saw a new opportunity to level up her skills and applied for a position at the public broadcaster Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC).

She covered the sports news at FBC, but it was here that she learnt new forms of journalism.

Ravulo thanks FBC for introducing her to social media, which she explained is something that all journalists need to be well versed and multi-talented in that area of media.

After the introduction of the Fijian Drua Super Rugby side in 2022, the search for the organisation’s first media and content officer began. Having been at FBC for nearly three years, Ravulo decided to take another leap of faith and apply for the role.

Taking a position within a male-dominated industry is no easy feat, and no one can prepare you for situations such as being the only woman who travels with the Fijian Drua team for the whole season.

Privileged opportunity
Ravulo expressed her gratitude for the organisation and the team for having faith in her to be their media officer, as she believes it is such a privilege.

Being treated as one of their own is great, but it means that she does still have to carry the heavy stuff, Ravulo said while laughing.

“It was challenging at first trying to earn the teams trust but something that we women need to know is that you need to take out that mentality that women cannot do what men can do,” she said.

“When standing at games with other super rugby clubs’ male content officers, I just think to myself, I am the same as all of you.

“And you should have that mentality that I can do what you can do.”

It is not only the team at the Drua organisation that Ravulo has won over, according to former Fiji Times finance editor Monika Singh, now teaching assistant at USP.

“She has the ability to win people over with her infectious smile and friendly demeanour,” Singh said.

“I have known her for some time now and I have never heard anyone complain about her work or her work ethic,” said Singh when reflecting on Ravulo’s character.

Writing wins respect
Ravulo strongly believes that some of the challenges junior journalists are faced with can be overcome through your writing.

“You write the way that people can actually respect you and see that you’re here to mean business, it changes the perspective of how people look at you.”

2024 @fijicare Moment of the Year (men’s) Kemu Valetini’s drop goal in front of Lautoka fans marking a famous (first) victory against the @NSWWaratahs#TosoDrua #PacificAusSports pic.twitter.com/WLYjWGXmKA

— Fijian Drua (@Fijian_Drua) June 17, 2024

Working with the Drua has broadened Ravulo’s horizons not only in relation to the social media and content creation, but also in understanding sponsorships, marketing, and public relations.

As a result, she has opted to go back to university and study a Bachelor of Law to venture into sports law because player welfare, lack of agents and contract negotiations is a gap she has noticed within the Fijian market.

Ruvulo would encourage all women to work within the sports media industry across Fiji.

“Women need to be more out there.”

Paige Schouw is a student journalist from the Queensland University of Technology who travelled to Fiji with the support of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Programme. Published in partnership with QUT.

The Fijiana women’s sevens rugby team have lost both pool matches at the Paris Olympics today and look set to miss the quarterfinals in the process.

Bronze medallists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Fijians lost 17-14 to Canada in their first pool game.

China then handed the Fijians an upset 40-12 thrashing.

• READ MORE: Other Paris Olympics 2024 reports

These results means Fijiana must beat New Zealand and hope to progress as one of the two best third place teams.

China displayed Fiji’s own style of play, throwing the ball around, taking the tackles and still off-loading and put on a strong defensive display when they pressure Fiji.

FBC Sports said the contribution of former coaches Osea Kolinisau and Setefano Cakau was evident in how China played.

Kolinisau and Cakau are currently coaching the Fiji men’s team and had stints as coaches with the Chinese in 2021-2022.

NZ connections
China now has the services of former New Zealand sevens rep Rocky Khan and longtime New Zealand 7s mentor Sir Gordon Tietjens.

Pool matches will continue on Tuesday, with Fiji taking on New Zealand in their third and final pool game.

Hosts France, the USA, New Zealand and Australia have recorded two wins each so far and are now confirmed for the quarterfinals.

France did not concede a point in their two games so far.

A record crowd of 66,000 fans packed into Stade de France to set a new record for a women’s rugby event.

World Rugby says that beats the previous record of 58,498 at Twickenham for England v France in 2023.

Australia’s Maddison Levi scored an incredible sevens tries in two matches to take her Olympic total to 10.

Australia got off to a flying start against South Africa in their opener, winning 34-5.

They took on Great Britain in their second outing, coming out with a 36-5 victory.

Great Britain, however, will head into day two second in the pool after they beat Ireland 21-12 in their opening game.

Strong USA start
USA got their Olympic campaign off to a strong start as they defeated Japan 36-7 in Pool C.

A 24-5 win against Brazil in their second game took them into day two unbeaten, with a showdown against France to decide the pool in store.

Hosts France thrilled the boisterous home crowd by also ending the day unbeaten after convincing wins against Brazil and Japan without conceding a point.

They won 26-0 in their opener against the South Americans before a bombarding performance against Japan ended 49-0 in their favour, scoring seven tries on their way to the Pool C summit.

World Rugby chair Sir Bill Beaumont said “after a scintillating men’s competition at these special coming of age Games for Rugby Sevens”:

“It is fitting that yet another record has been smashed. With the world’s best women’s sevens players shining brightly on sport’s biggest stage, 66,000 fans were gripped by the action, while an unprecedented broadcast and digital audience will ensure that more young people in more nations and communities will be inspired by these awesome athletes, who are amongst the best in the world in sport.”

Seeking a medal
Australia captain Charlotte Caslick says they want to win a medal this time around, having missed out on Tokyo in 2020.

“It is a part of sport that it brings highs and lows. But we have achieved a lot since then so we have definitely moved on and are really looking forward to this campaign. That loss in Tokyo has really helped us to grow.

“We have a lot of girls coming back after injuries. We just have to keep doing what we do, to keep performing. We don’t do it for recognition, we do it because we love each other and we love this sport. Hopefully, if we’re successful here we’ll go a long way.”

New Zealand captain Sarah Hirini, making a return from injury, says she is excited for her team’s chances.

“It means a lot. It’s been a tough journey but I’m so grateful to the people around me to get me back to this point. I’m so happy to be back with the team and on the big stage.

“I’m so proud to be back representing my family, everyone back in New Zealand. Wearing this black jersey means everything. It gives you superpowers.

“It has such a legacy and it’s one of the most powerful tools we can hold on to for a set amount of time. And when the time comes you give it to the next person.”

Women’s sevens rugby results from Day One:
China 40 Fiji 7
France 49 Japan 0
USA 24 Brazil 5
Australia 36 Great Britain 5
Ireland 38 South Africa 0
New Zealand 43 China 5
Canada 17 Fiji 14
France 26 Brazil 0
USA 36 Japan 7
Australia 34 South Africa 5
Great Britain 21 Ireland 12
New Zealand 33 Canada 7

One silver for Team Pasifika
The Fiji men’s sevens team has recorded the only medal so far for Team Pasifika.

They won silver in the competition, following their 28-7 final loss to France on Sunday morning (NZ time).

Meanwhile, Fijian captain Jerry Tuwai has apologised to Fijian fans for the final loss, saying they had let fans down because they had aimed to win the gold medal again.

Speaking at the post match press conference, Tuwai said France was just too good.

“I just want to thank the fans back home for the support and the prayers, we would like to apologize for falling short to a very good French side, they deserve it, thanks very much for the support through the years and we’ll see you back home,” he said.

Head coach Osea Kolinisau added to that and said they will now focus on the HSBC SVNS Series, which kicks off later this year.

In other sports:

PNG and Tonga fail in boxing
Papua New Guinea’s John Ume is out of the Paris Olympics after he was beaten in his preliminary bout on Sunday morning (NZ Time).

Team PNG said Ume, who fought in the men’s 63.5 kg category, lost to Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez Borges.

Borges stopped Ume in the second round.

Team PNG said Ume was an inspiration.

“John received the call to join the team just seven days before his bout, following an unfortunate injury to a boxer from Solomon Islands,” Team PNG said in a statement.

“Despite not being in peak form due to the unexpected nature of his invitation, John answered the call with pride and courage. John faced the formidable Cuban athlete Erislandy Alvarez Borges in his Olympic debut.

“Alvarez, a highly accomplished boxer with a silver medal from the 2023 World Championships and an undefeated professional record, proved to be a tough opponent.

“John fought valiantly, showcasing the spirit and tenacity that define Team PNG. However, in the second round, the referee stopped the match, awarding the victory to Alvarez.

“John’s participation in the Olympics, despite the short notice, is a testament to his resilience and dedication.”

Team PNG added that despite the outcome, Ume’s participation in Paris 2024 has made his country proud.

“Team PNG stands proud of John’s remarkable effort and unwavering resilience on the Olympic stage.”

And Tongan female boxer Fe’ofa’aki Epenisa also lost her first fight.

Aki, the island kingdom’s first female boxer to fight at the Games, could not upset Vietnam’s Thi Linh Ha in the women’s 60 kg category.

Linh won the fight 5-0 on the scorecards.

ONOC says the USA based boxer fought well and tried her best, which was not enough to get her into the next stage.

Boxing continues tomorrow, with gold medal finals also on the programme.

Swimmers hit the pool
Pacific Island swimmers at the Paris Olympics have been in action in the pool over the first two days of competition.

ONOC says the list included Lanihei Connolly of the Cook Islands in the women’s 100m Breaststroke Preliminary heats..

Connolly competed in Heat 2, finishing her race with a time of 1 minute 10.45 seconds.

Tonga’s Alan Uhi swam in the men’s 100m Backstroke, finishing with a time of 1 minute 0.62 seconds.

The Tonga Association of National Olympic Committee commended Uhi’s performance.

“Our youngest Olympian to Paris 2024 swam in the first Heat of the men’s 100m backstroke at the Paris La Defense Arena!

“Great attempt at your first Olympic appearance, certainly won’t be your last!”

FSM’s Tasi Limtiaco completed his 100m Breaststroke event in 1 minute :4.14 seconds.

American Samoa’s Micah Masei competed in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke, finishing third in his heat with a time of 1 minute 05.95 seconds.

Swimming continues tomorrow.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

France has claimed their first Olympic Games sevens rugby gold medal with a 28-7 win over Fiji at the Stade de France

Star French player Antoine Dupont scored two late second half tries to help the side create history in front of a partisan 69,000 crowd.

Fiji, who were chasing a three-peat attempt at the Paris Olympics, paid the price for giving away critical penalties in the second spell as France took control.

• READ MORE: Other Paris Olympics 2024 reports

Fiji’s Josaia Raisuqe said it was a good final, but Fiji made some mistakes.

“Maybe because [France] were playing on their home soil, it was a special motivation for them. But we must just keep on going.

“We gave our best in this final. But when it comes to the end, one is going to win and one is going to lose, so we accept that.”

He said Fiji’s medal is silver but “still it is important to me”.

‘Silver on my neck’
“Maybe we are going to come back in the next Olympics and we will give everything.

“I have silver on my neck.

“My family and country is happy now. My mum and dad brought me into this sport and I am thankful for that.”

The Fijians, who claimed the gold at the both the 2016 and 2020 Games, started the game with a Josefa Talacolo try.

But France responded through Jefferson-Lee Joseph and the two teams were tied 7-all at halftime.

Fijian captain Jerry Tuwai had to be content with winning his first silver medal, having won two previous gold medals in Brazil and Japan.

But he had not been in the team earlier in the sevens season.

‘Hard when left out’
“It was very hard when I was left out but I always had hope that I could play another Olympic Games and it happened,” he said.

“I was coming for the gold but it wasn’t to be. What can you say?

“My first Olympics (Rio 2016) was a real surprise to me because it was the first time for rugby at the Olympics.

“The second was better and this one was better still, even though I didn’t win gold with my teammates and for my country. I am grateful I could come this far.”

Head coach Osea Kolinisau was also hoping to become the first sevens rugby coach to have won an Olympic gold medal as a player and coach, having been captain when Fiji first kissed gold in Brazil in 2016.

France, with former Test captain Dupont leading their charge in the second half, had their fans cheering early when play resumed for the second spell, running down the flank to set up Aaron Grandidier for their first try.

Then it was Dupont who came to the front for his country, claiming his double and shutting Fiji out.

Fiji did not have much possession in the second half as France applied pressure and played rushed defence to disrupt the defending champions.

Fiji sailed through semifinal
Fiji sailed through to their third final with an outstanding display of flair and skills, beating Australia 31-7. The two teams were 7-all at halftime.

The Aussies managed to score first following a Fiji mistake.

Joji Nasova replied with a length of the field try when he raced away from close to his tryline.

France came from behind to beat South Africa 19-5.

It was a tight affair with both teams failing to score any points in the first half.

The South Africans were the first to score after the break before the hosts answered with three successive tries.

South Africa defeated Australia in the bronze medal final to claim their second Olympic Games bronze, with a 26-19 win.

In the other play-offs, New Zealand finished fifth, defeating Ireland 17-7.

Argentina hammered USA 19-0 to claim seventh spot, Kenya finished ninth beating Samoa 10-5 and Uruguay ended up 11th with a 21-10 win over Japan.

The women’s competition kicks-off on Monday morning (NZ time), with medal finals scheduled for Wednesday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Fiji Rugby Union has sacked Fiji 7s head coach Ben Gollings and replaced him with former Fiji 7s captain and 2016 Olympic Games gold medallist Osea Kolinasau.

The announcement was made yesterday by FRU board chairman Peter Mazey at Rugby House in Suva.

Gollings’ axing comes after Fiji’s failure to win a title on the HSBC SVNS Series over 19 consecutive tournaments.

• READ MORE:  Fijian Drua beat defending Super Rugby Pacific champions Crusaders 20-10
• Other Fiji rugby reports

Mazey said FRU had been in discussion with Kolinisau since December last year, talking to him about his willingness to coach the team.

He said the decision to appoint Kolinisau was not made under duress.

Mazey said the FRU players and staff reaffirmed the full support of the body.

He said the FRU would soon announce an advisory group to help the Fiji 7s teams.

France won the Los Angeles title last weekend as it underscored its challenge for the Paris Olympics in July with new sevens star Antoine Dupont starring.

Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.

Melanesians all across Aotearoa are coming together in Auckland this weekend to celebrate their unique cultural heritage.

This is the second time the annual Melanesian Festival Aotearoa is being held and it is an opportunity for community members from Fiji, Kanaky New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to fully immerse in their culture.

More than 7000 people attended the inaugural event last year which was a huge success.

Cultural performances, musical showcases, traditional food, arts and craft were on display and enjoyed by all.

Festival director Albert Traill said this festival is “something unique for New Zealand because New Zealand is a predominantly Polynesian-based society when it comes to Pacific Islands communities”.

He expressed that sometimes the Melanesian community feel left out or lost in the crowd and their numbers are smaller in comparison to their Polynesian brothers and sisters.

“Melanesian culture and music is really different to Polynesia. Very similar, but it has its own unique feel,” Traill said.

Annual event
The community have been talking about organising their own cultural festival for years, and with the support of Creative New Zealand, it is now an annual event.

“It’s an opportunity for our Melanesian community to come out and have a space for us to share our culture, our food, and just to come together and celebrate each other’s identity and culture.

“We love it here in New Zealand because New Zealand is a country that loves and supports cultural diversity.”

Traill has a smile in his voice as he reflects on the success of last year’s festival, sharing how many of the performances were youth driven.

The young ones spent months researching their countries and consulting with community elders and knowledge holders, to produce outstanding items.

Their pride and passion shone on stage, striking a string in the hearts of their family and friends

‘Everyone in tears’
“And pretty much everyone was in tears hearing them share how special they felt. Normally they get lumped in with Polyfest and, and all the other festivals and stuff. But this one, for the first time ever, they could say, ‘this is my festival. It’s Melanesian’.”

“We’re doing it for the young people,” he says.

“So hopefully one day when we’re not here, they can stand up with the same pride and say, ‘Yeah, you know what? I’m Melanesia. And I’m proud to share my culture’.”

The festival will be held at the Waitemata Rugby Club Grounds in Henderson from 9am onwards with a packed programme.

The cultural performances begin at 10am and there are a few popular reggae artists and bands hailing from the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Community groups from Christchurch, Tauranga, Waikato and Wellington are travelling up to participate and the entertainment will continue until late in the afternoon.

Cultural activation spaces will also be spread around the grounds showcasing the traditional weaving and tapa printing of Melanesia.

Ancient tatooing style
The ancient style of Papua New Guinea tattooing will also be on display.

It will be a vibrant hub of cultural identity and heritage and the the organizers warmly welcome any interested ones to come along and join in the celebrations.

“Come and have a look, come and see Melanesia,” Traill said.

“Melanesia is like the Tuakana of the Pacific, the older sibling, the older ancient cultures. You’re looking at 10,000 years of history in the Pacific. A lot of these are ancient old cultures and very complex.”

The organisers expect this year to be even bigger and better, and it will only grow each consecutive year.

They are already looking into further expanding the festival for 2024 and are looking to collaborate with embassies to fly across talented local artists and cultural performance groups to join in next years Melanesia Festival.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Flying Fijians head coach Simon Raiwalui says facing England in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals will be different from when they met last month in Twickenham.

The match in London saw Fiji topple the tier one nation 30-22 for the first time, two weeks away from the World Cup and was described as one of the lowest moments in English rugby history.

The two sides will face-off at Stade de Marseille in a week’s time at 3am.

• READ MORE: Fiji scrapes through to Rugby World Cup quarterfinal despite loss to Portugal
• Other Rugby World Cup reports

“They [England] play rugby to win. They’re very talented. They’ll put a lot of pressure on us at set-piece time as well,” Raiwalui said.

“Tactically, they’ll look to take advantage of some of the things we’ve been doing, so they’re a very good team. It’s going to be a big challenge.”

He said he expected England to change their game a little bit.

“It’s a totally different match [to when Fiji beat England in August], playing a different team. There will be aspects of how they play that are similar but they will bring new stuff as well.

“It’s about us being efficient and doing the things we do well and giving ourselves the best chance to compete.

“We’ve played the team, the boys are comfortable. It’s not the first time, so I think it will be a good match.”

Pacific RWC results
Fiji just scraped into the quarter-finals losing to Portugal 24-23 in their final and deciding pool match in Toulouse on Monday morning.

Other quarter-finals will see Wales battle Argentina in Marseille on Sunday morning, before Ireland and New Zealand clash in Saint Denis the same day.

The fourth semi-final will be between France and South Africa in Saint Denis on Monday morning.

Samoa are out of the World Cup after Sunday’s 18-17 defeat to England and Tonga also had an early exit after ‘Ikale Tahi scored seven tries for a bonus point 45-24 win in Lille to record their only cup win.

Republished with permission.

The Flying Fijians survived a scare and hung on to win 17-12 against a spirited Georgia in Bordeaux on Sunday morning, giving them hope of a quarterfinal spot at the Rugby World Cup in France.

Having trailed 9-0 at halftime, the Fijians scored two tries in the second half through captain Waisea Nayacalevu and replacement winger Vinaya Habosi.

Georgia gave everything they had and held their own against their much-fancied opponents, even charging for the tryline in the dying minutes of the game.

• READ MORE: South Africa beat Tonga 49-18
• Other RWC2023 reports

More than 42,000 fans could not have asked for a better game as the two teams battled it out on the field.

Both sides had predicted a tough clash.

It turned out to be that way — Georgia dominated the first half, Fiji came back in the second.

Head coach Simon Raiwalui said they lost the plot in the second half and the message was for the team to get back to the basics and play their own game.

‘On the back foot’
“All credit to Georgia, they played really well in the first half. We were a bit on the back foot, we didn’t help ourselves with the basics,” he told the media after the game.

“It was a bit of getting back to basics, we were giving too much ball away in contact. I think we were lucky to [only] be down 9-0 at half-time. It was real tight to the end.

“We said let’s get back to the basics. Get an advantage line, hold the ball and put some pressure back on them.”

Raiwalui said he was not looking too far beyond Portugal next week and they would review the game.

“I am really just worried about Portugal coming up, we have to take care of business,” he said.

“Prepare well and put on a performance. If we look too far beyond that we are going to slip over.

“Georgia played well, they were very clinical in the first half, their forwards were very strong and their back three were very dangerous on the counter-attack.

‘Chased too much’
“The good thing about this team, in the past we may have chased the game too much. This team, behind the leadership of Waisea [Nayacalevu], wasn’t a tidy game but came away with the result.”

Nayacalevu said he kept telling the players to keep fighting when they were down.

“Today we didn’t perform to the best of our ability, credit to Georgia. Coming into this week, we knew Georgia would come with physicality and speed,” he said.

“First half we made a lot of mistakes, I told the boys to keep fighting, next job. Second half we executed a few plays, stuck in the fight and we got the result.

“What game! My feelings, I’m pretty exhausted. The game was tough, shout out to Georgia for a tough game today.

“I am proud of the boys, what a team effort today we didn’t slack off, we kept fighting. I told the boys we have to keep fighting. For the record, we want to be a history-making team and that is our goal. We will take it step by step.”

Georgia led at half-time
Georgia led Fiji 9-0 at half-time, thanks to three successful penalties from winger Davit Niniashvili.

A courageous defence by Georgia and no retreat style of approach saw them create havoc on the field, forcing the Flying Fijians into errors.

The Fijians could not connect with their lineout with hooker Sam Matavesi over-throwing a couple of throw-ins.

While they were able to hold their own in the scrums, the Fijians were not able to put their phases together.

Georgia on the other hand applied the pressure from the opening whistle and combined physical power upfront with flair and speed along the backs.

Luke Tagi lost the ball over the line as the Fijians went on attack midway into the first spell, after they opted for a tap penalty in front of the posts.

Earlier halfback Simione Kuruvoli had sent the ball wide and short from a penalty attempt.

Semi Radradra, captain Waisea Nayacalevu, Ilaisa Droasese and Selestino Ravutaumada made some good breaks but disruptive defence from Georgia thwarted any hopes of those moves scoring points.

While the Georgians worked as a group on attack and had support players around the ball carriers Fiji made the mistake of individual players on attack too many times over.

Fiji had better second half
Radradra received a yellow card early in the half after play resumed and the Fijians were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes.

Nayacalevu finished off a move in the corner with his try before Frank Lomani kicked from the sideline for the extra two points.

That saw Georgia lead 9-7.

Then Lomani kicked a penalty before replacement Habosi danced his way past would be tacklers after taking the off-loads from Levani Botia who had found his way through the Georgian defence.

At 17-7 the Georgians kept coming back into the game and Luka Matkava kicked a penalty to close the gap to 17-12.

Man of the Match Levani Botia said he was proud of the team coming back the way they did.

“So proud of the boys, I think we struggled in the first half. We gave away opportunities but we came back in the second half,” he said.

Keeping the ball alive
“I think one thing about us Fijians is we like to keep the ball alive, we trust each other, I saw my teammate and I understand I have to give the opportunity. Rugby is rugby, you don’t know what will happen.”

Georgian coach Levan Maisashvili said he was proud of his team despite the loss.

“Obviously I cannot be happy about the final result today, but I am really proud of my team. They did their best, they gave everything, it was not enough to win the match,” he said.

“Unfortunately in the first half we had to change some players, there were many injuries and in the second half as well, so that had a huge impact and we paid the price.

“The first half tactically was pretty well done, there were a couple of individual mistakes when we couldn’t follow our tactic to go straight forward, and to kick the ball out, to put more pressure on the opponent, but every time we had this tactic we had great results in the first half.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

On Thursday, the whole world celebrated the International Day of Peace. Although the UN day is not as famous as others, like World Press Freedom Day, International Women’s Day or World Teacher’s Day, it is important nevertheless.

The UN General Assembly has set aside the special day to help strengthen the ideals of peace, by observing 24 hours of nonviolence and ceasefire. Why? Because never has our world needed peace more.

Just look around us. The Ukraine-Russia war seems like a never-ending fight. Despite efforts made globally to end it, the armed conflict continues to rage on in Europe.

• READ MORE: Other UN and peace reports

In the continent of Africa, clashes continue in the war-torn Sudan.

According to the UN reports, Sudan is now home to the highest number of internally displaced anywhere in the world, with at least 7.1 million uprooted.

More than six million Sudanese are one step away from famine and experts are warning that inaction could cause a spill over effect in the volatile region. In the Middle East, strife can be heard and seen in the mainstream media every second day.

The scourge of hunger, HIV/AIDS, strange diseases, famine, climate change and natural disasters continues, without any end in sight. On the other hand, for many people living in stable, well-educated and prosperous communities, every day is an invaluable gift to wake up to.

Peace seems invisible
Peace in these places seems invisible because people’s hearts are filled with contents and happiness. People enjoy living in good homes, going to good schools, walking on safe streets and lawbreaking is unusual.

However, this environment and type of living is absent or different in some parts of the world around us.

In some countries, every year wars kill hundreds of lives, including women and children, poverty puts millions more through a life of struggle and low levels of education makes people unemployed and in need of the many offerings of life.

With military conflicts, humanity takes a significant step backwards, as many things have to be recovered instead of going forward. Just look at the past two world wars to understand this.

Both wars caused the loss of human lives, property loss, economic collapse, poverty, hunger and infrastructural destruction. But among the trail of destruction the wars left behind emerged humans’ insatiable desire for peace.

The absence of comfort and the overriding feeling of anxiety and fear brought about by conflicts, created spaces in the human heart that allowed humans to, once again, yearn for goodwill, friendship and unity.

That is why the celebration of the International Day of Peace, which is aimed at conveying the danger of war, is very important.

Actions for Peace
This year’s IDP theme was Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals, a call to action that recognises individual and collective responsibility to foster peace.

On the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Peace is needed today more than ever.”

“War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarisation.”

Defined loosely, peace simply means being in a place, where no hatred and no conflict exists and where hatred and conflict are replaced by love, care and respect. We are now in the year 2023.

We find that fostering peace is becoming impossible without justice and fairness, without the values of respect and understanding, without love and unity, and without equality and equity.

Crime continues to escalate, our women and children continue to get raped, there is a lot of hatred and rancour, our streets are not safe at night and our homes are not secure.

People don’t respect people’s space, people’s human rights and people’s property. The internet and social media have revolutionised the world, the way we do things and the way we live our lives.

But some of these are extinguishing peace instead of disharmony. Despite efforts to use the internet to prevent conflict, social media is fueling hatred, radicalisation, suspicion, rallying people to disturb the peace, spreading untruths and creating disunity.

Defences of peace
The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.

Therefore, for us in Fiji, every day and every opportunity must be exploited to support people to understand each other, work together to build lasting peace and make a safer world for diversity and unity.

Because we are all anticipating Fiji’s upcoming games in the Rugby World Cup 2023, we should think seriously about how we can use sports as instruments of peace.

Our Flying Fijians are doing this superbly every time they erupt in singing, give a handshake or a smile, and lift their hands and eyes to the skies in prayerful meditation. There are no wars in Fiji yet we are still struggling to instill peace in our hearts, mind and lives.

We still need peace in our families and communities. Peace is more than the absence of war.

It is about living together with our imperfections and differences — of sex, race, language, religion or culture. At the same time, it is about striving to advance universal respect for justice and human rights on which peaceful co-existence is grounded.

Peace is more than just ending strife and violence, in the home, community, nation and the world.

It is about living it everyday. UNESCO says peace is a way of life “deep-rooted commitment to the principles of liberty, justice, equality and solidarity among all human beings”.

Have a peaceful week with a quote from the Bible (Matthew 5:9) “Blessed Are the Peacemakers, for They Will Be Called Children of God”.

John Mitchell is a Fiji Times journalist and writes the weekly “Behind The News” column. Republished from The Sunday Times with permission.

Manu Samoa have made only three changes to their starting lineup to maintain consistency and ensure game flow against Argentina in a must-win Pool D clash in Saint-Étienne on Saturday morning (NZ time).

Head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has named Paul-Alo Emile in the front row, Paul Ala’nu’uese at lock and Ben Lam on the wing in the Rugby World Cup battle.

Lock Chris Vui gets to lead the team out with his co-captain and prop Michael Ala’alatoa on the bench.

• READ MORE: France crush Namibia 96-0 in record score but lose captain
• France 96-Namibia 0: Dupont injury worry overshadows France triumph
• Other RWC2023 reports

Samoa needs to win the clash to give them an advantage over the Pumas, who lost their first game to England a fortnight ago.

England has two wins and leads on the points table.

Samoa are second but need the win to give them a better chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

Mapusua said they are focused on stopping the South Americans, but they will need to execute correctly.

‘Under no illusion’
“We are going to have to stop Argentina from doing what they do by doing what we do and committing to how we want to play,” he told media at the team naming in Saint-Étienne.

“We are under no illusion to the threat Argentina pose and we believe that if we stick to how we want to play and play the Samoa way, I am confident we will be able to stop Argentina.”

He said the three players who had been given starting roles were being brought in against the Pumas because of their strengths.

“Brian (Alainu’u’ese, second row) has been training really well and this was a game we thought his strengths would be utilised, especially around the set-piece,” he said.

“Ben Lam has just become available after sustaining an injury a few weeks ago. He is now fit and ready to go.

“We were worried when he sustained his injury. He’s a lot on the edge for us, he’s a very big man who can move quickly . . . he brings a lot to the wider channels, his pure power and the way he plays the game. We are looking forward to finally getting him on the field this weekend.”

Sopoaga ruled out
But he will not have former All Black Lima Sopoaga, who came off the bench against Chile last weekend.

“With Lima Sopoaga’s omission [from the match-day squad], I think it’s been circulated, he sustained a (calf) injury last week against Chile,” the coach revealed.

“He was ruled out this week, we ruled him out as a precautionary. Also, because of the nature of his injury he wasn’t ready to play this week. We will reassess at the weekend towards next week’s game.”

Mapusua said his team understood how important it was for them to start well, remain consistent and finish strong, unlike their first half performance against Chile.

“The boys have realised we are in the tournament, we’ve arrived at the party. There are no second chances so this week the whole squad, there has been a real lift and energy. We know we have got a huge game coming up,” he said.

“We won’t be short of motivation.

‘Confidence in what we are doing’
Fiji’s 22-15 win over Australia last weekend is motivation also for the side as they go into the battle with what Vaovasamanaia calls an “injured Los Pumas”.

“We had confidence before the game, confidence that Fiji were going to get over and also confidence in what we are doing. That’s awesome to see our Pacific brothers doing really well and we are always going to be behind them until we have to play each other.

“We are proud of them and of course we are going to take inspiration and confidence from that. But I’d be more inclined to take confidence from the work and preparation this group of men have done over the past few months.”

Flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano will man the pivotal playmaker role and said he was excited to meet Argentina, coached by his former Wallaby headman Michael Cheika.

Cheika was Wallabies coach at the 2019 Rugby World Cup where Leali’ifano was a key player for the side.

“Excited for the challenge ahead,” Leali’ifano said.

“Not only a former coach there in Michael Cheika but just the challenge that lays ahead for this team, this group to play a tier-one nation that historically did really well at a World Cup.”

The Samoa – Argentina clash kicks off at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint Étienne at 3.45am (NZ Time) or 4.45am in Samoa on Saturday.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Samoa team:
1 James Lay, 2 Seilala Lam, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 4 Brian Alainu’u’ese,5 Chris Vui (c), 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Fritz Lee, 8 Steven Luatua, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Ben Lam, 12 Tumua Manu, 13 Ulupano Junior Seuteni, 14 Nigel Ah-Wong, 15 Duncan Paia’aua.
Reserves: 16 Sama Malolo, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Michael Alaalatoa, 19 Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, 20 Sa Jordan Taufua, 21 Melani Matavao, 22 Alai D’Angelo Leuila, 23 Danny Toala.

Lekima Tagitagivalu knows too well how the French are rugby crazy and wasn’t surprised about the support shown to the Flying Fijians in last weekend’s Rugby World Cup match against Australia.

Playing for Pau in the Top 14 competition, the 27-year-old flanker is a favourite in the French competition.

He is one of several Fijian players in the Flying Fijians squad who plays in France. Like in the match against Wales, the French turned out in numbers to support their second favourite team — Fiji.

• READ MORE: RWC2023: Simi Kuruvoli’s boot helps ‘best ever’ Flying Fijians beat Wallabies
• Other Rugby World Cup reports

Their cheers and those of Fijians who travelled from around the world to the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint Etienne on Monday, rang through the stadium.

“That [French support] means a lot to us,” said the man from Marou, Naviti, in Yasawa.

“A lot of the boys play here in France. It means so much knowing that they are behind us too. It’s more like a home game for us.”

He said the win against Australia would rejuvenate spirits in the team camp for the rest of their RWC campaign — matches against Georgia and Portugal.

“I’m really proud of the boys for the performance and being able to create a part of Fiji rugby’s history.

“It was a tough game and we stuck in there for the whole 80 minutes,” said Tagitagivalu, adding that the win meant a lot to their World Cup campaign.

“Georgia is next and we won’t take any team lightly because they have all been preparing well for this world cup. We’ll take one game at a time, learn from our mistakes and move on to the next mission.

“I would like to dedicate this win to my family, to all the families in Fiji and all our supporters around the world who have been messaging us. We’ve been receiving all videos.”

Fiji plays against Georgia on October 1.

Rodney Duthie is a Fiji Times journalist. republished with permission.

The Flying Fijians won its Rugby World Cup Pool C match against Australia 22-15 in Saint Etienne with the team’s fourth choice kicker, Simione Kuruvoli, leading them.

And the win came after 69 long years since Fiji last defeated the Wallabies in 1954.

Kuruvoli, who is ranked behind the injured Caleb Muntz, Teti Tela and Frank Lomani as a kicker, started the game at halfback and was given the goal-kicking duties.

• READ MORE: RWC2023: Manu Samoa claim win over Chile
• Tonga get reality check in Ireland drubbing
• Other RWC2023 reports
• RNZ RWC2023 news feed

He did not disappoint and his personal tally of 14 points ensured the Fijians managed to outpoint the Wallabies in the end, in a match that kept the 41,294 fans at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on their toes.

Head coach Simon Raiwalui called Kuruvoli into the starting line-up ahead of Lomani and the 24-year-old stamped his mark.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to start and the trust that was given to me by the coach and team management,” he said.

“It was a tense game and I just focused on my kicks to make sure that we were able to get the points needed.”

Fiji dominated
Fiji dominated the game — and in all facets of the game.

It was something similar to what they did against Wales in Bordeaux two Sundays ago.

The only difference is this time they were able to convert the statistical advantage into winning points in the end.

Kickable options saw Kuruvoli stepping up to the mark, claiming crucial points.

Coach Raiwalui said it was a great win and thanked the boys for sticking to the job at hand.

“We focused on Australia this week and the boys executed the game plan very well,” he said.

“Great to have the win but we are still building and will need to focus on the next one after this.

“Mostly proud of the boys. It’s not just for today, it’s a combination of work over time.

Two hard games next
“Two very hard games coming up. Let’s enjoy this win, will review tonight. I think a lot of the boys will be sore but super proud.”

Captain Waisea Nayacalevu thanked the players and fans for their support.

“Great team effort and the fans were fantastic,” he said. “Proud of the boys for the effort.”

The win means Fiji and Australia are tied in pool C with six points each.

Fiji will need to win both their remaining matches against Georgia and Portugal and hope that the Wallabies fall against Wales in their crunch match.

But that aside, the win over the Australians was celebrated by those who turned up, including Fijians who had flown in from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and across Europe.

French fans who turned up to watch the game backed Fiji as they could be heard cheering for Fiji on the grandstand and they booed the Australians every time they were penalised in the match.

Australian Fijians say it was tough
The Australians had five Fijians in their line-up, with two of them, wingers Mark Waqanitawase and Suliasi Vunivalu, scoring their tries.

Samu Kerevi, Rob Valetini and Marika Koroibete were strong in defence and made some good runs but they were nullified by their fellow Fijians, who hit them with some bone-crunching tackles.

Vunivalu congratulated Fiji and said they were consistent.

“They started well and kept that throughout,” he said.

“We tried to come back, but they were very strong.”

Koroibete said it was a physical battle.

“They were on from the start to the end, we tried to keep up with them from the start but they were good,” he said.

“As a team we did not work upfront enough to counter that physicality.”

He said they will now have to focus on Wales.

Best Fiji team ever – Serevi
Sevens King Waisale Serevi, who was in the crowd supporting Fiji, said the Flying Fijians team in France was the best ever.

“I think it is the best team ever to play at the World Cup because we are going up and we have beaten Australia now,” he said.

“I believe that maybe we have won a game in the World Cup and going to the quarter-final, we still have two more games and the way we played today showed they can compete on this level.

“The Australia team are a good team, but I think the [Fiji] boys were better today.

“They played to the plan, they played to the strengths of the game they wanted to play. They did everything right and they did compete at the breakdown which is not really the Fijian way of playing rugby.

“I believe with the team that we have we can go through to the quarter-final and we have every opportunity to get to the semi-final.”

First half lead set the pace
Fiji led at halftime 12-8 with halfback Kuruvoli kicking all of Fiji’s points through the boots.

Australia managed a try to Waqanitawase, after the Wallabies had taken a quick lineout throw, with Samu Kerevi running through and passing on to Waqanitawase who dived over.

Fullback Ben Donaldson missed the conversion, but he had opened the scoring in the game with an earlier penalty close to the posts.

Australia was able to defend well against the Fijians in the first 40 minutes, keeping their opponents at bay inside their own half.

Fiji put together several phases and attacks in the first spell, with Kuruvoli masterminding their moves.

Josua Tuisova, Semi Radradra and captain Nayacalevu were all busy on attack while the forwards dominated in the ruck and scrum situations.

A telling factor Fiji displayed was their strong forward plays, holding their own in the scrums and lineouts as well.

But Australia challenged their throw-ins towards the end of the first spell and won two successive Fijian throw-ins near their own line.

Good start in second spell
The Fijians got straight back into the game in the second spell and Man of the Match, winger Tuisova scored out wide after he collected a bouncing ball from a Kuruvoli place kick off the base of a ruck.

They then missed a penalty attempt from Lomani and Tuisova swung the ball wide and out the sideline as they had an opportunity to run the ball with four players sitting outside him.

It was tit-for-tat after that as both teams tried to put phases together.

A penalty midway inside the Wallabies side of the field gave Lomani another opportunity to extend their lead and he made it 22-8 from that kick.

Australian fullback Ben Donaldson converted Vunivalu’s try and closed the gap to 22-15.

Fiji hung on with some great steals in ruck-ball situations to end the game with the famous win, even though Lomani’s last kick sailed wide.

Scorecard:
Fiji 22 – Tries: Josua Tuisova (43′); Conv: Simione Kuruvoli (44′); Pens: Simione Kuruvoli (12′, 21′, 27′, 33′); Frank Lomani (66′).

Australia 15 – Tries: Mark Nawaqanitawase (23′), Suli Vunivalu (68′); Conv: Ben Donaldson (70′); Pens: Ben Donaldson (3′).

Other Pacific results:
Results in other Pacific matches at the World Cup were mixed with Manu Samoa defeating newcomers Chile 43-10 at Bordeaux in pool D while Tongan coach Toutai Kefu admitted his Ikale Tahi side had been outclassed 59-16 by top-ranked Ireland at Nantes in pool B.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Tonga has named their strongest match-day 23 to face world No 1 Ireland in the French city of Nantes in their first Rugby World Cup pool match on Sunday morning (New Zealand time).

French-based prop forward Ben Tameifuna will lead the side against the Irish in a tactical move that sees captain Sonatane Takulua starting off the bench.

Manu Samoa, who arrived in Bordeaux yesterday afternoon, have also announced a strong team that will battle World Cup debutants Chile at the Stade de Bordeaux, also early on Sunday morning.

• READ MORE: ‘It was a tough battle’, says Radradra after Flying Fijians’ defeat to France
• Other Rugby World Cup reports

Head coach Seilala Mapusua has named his experienced flyhalves Christian Leali’ifano and Lima Sopoaga in the match-day 23.

Meanwhile, Fiji is expected to make changes for the crucial game against Australia at Saint-Etienne on Monday morning (NZ time).

Tonga focused
‘Ikale Tahi head coach Toutai Kefu said they are focused on Ireland, which began the World Cup with an 82-8 thrashing of Romania last weekend.

“This is a very exciting Tonga team who I think will prove to be very competitive against the best in the world,” he told media in Paris before the team left for Nantes.

“The players are looking forward to playing the best and testing themselves against a confident, capable Ireland team. We’ve been watching them for 12 months now and they definitely deserve the number one team in the world tag.

“The boys are excited to get out there and play. There will be no lack of motivation to do their country and their families proud.”

Kefu has retained the front-row trio of Tameifuna, Siegfried Fisi’ihoi and hooker Paula Ngauamo.

He has also gone for height and speed in the loosies and locks selections.

Vice-captain Halaleva Fifita and Samiuela Lousi start at locks while Tanginoa Halaifonua, Sione Havili and Vaea Fifita complete the loose trio.

In a major move, Kefu has opted to give Augustine Pulu the nod ahead of Takulua.

Takulua, Tonga’s most capped player, has been the first-choice halfback for the last six years.

Kefu’s backline choice sees William Havili at fly half while Pita Akhi pairs former All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa in midfield.

Former Mate Ma’a Tonga and Auckland Warriors winger Solomone Kata pairs Afusipa Taumoepeau on the wings, with former All Black Salesi Piutau manning the fullback berth.

Tonga lineup:1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 3 Ben Tameifuna (c), 4, Samiuela Lousi, 5 Halaleva Fifita, 6 Tanginoa Halaifonua, 7 Sione Havili, 8 Vaea Fifita, 9 Augustine Pulu, 10 William Havili, 11 Solomone Kata, 12 Pita Ahki, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 14 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 15 Salesi Piutau; Reserves – 16 Samiuela Moli,17 Sosefo ‘Apikotoa,18 Tau Kolomatangi, 19 Semisi Paea, 20 Solomone Funaki, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Sonatane Takulua, 23 Fini Inisi.

Respect for Chile
Manu Samoa coach Seilala Mapusua said they respected the South Americans and have named a strong team to face them.

“The whole lead-up to the Rugby World Cup has been about Chile, our first game.

“And we are giving them the respect they deserve and making sure we not only do our own people proud but also make sure we are taking steps towards our own goal as Manu Samoa,” Mapusua told media in Bordeaux yesterday.

Mapusua said they do not underestimate Chile and believed their opponents had played well against Japan in their opening pool game last weekend.

“We need to start well. This is our first game at the Rugby World Cup,” he said.

“We have to nail the opportunities we get.”

He has named both his co-captains Michael Ala’alatoa and Chris Vui in the starting team.

With two experienced flyhalves in former Wallaby Christian Leali’ifano and former All Black Lima Sopoaga both available to him, Mapusua has gone for Leali’ifano to start.

He said he was lucky to have such talented flyhalves and both could play as well as the other.

“They are very similar in their roles with us. I expect them to control the game and really manage the team over the full 80 minutes.

“We are blessed to have them.”

Former All Black Steven Luatua gets to run in at No 8.

Manu Samoa lineup: 1. James Lay, 2. Seilala Lam, 3. Michael Alalatoa, 4. Chris Vui, 5. Theo MacFarland, 6. Taleni Seu, 7. Fritz Lee, 8. Steven Luatua, 9. Johnathan Taumateine, 10, Christian Leialiifano, 11. Nigel Ah-Wong, 12. Tumua Manu, 13. Ulupani Junior Seuteni, 14. Danny Toala, 15. Duncan Paia’aua; Reserves – 16. Sama Malolo, 17. Jordan Lay, 18. Paul Alo-Emile, 19. Sam Slade, 20. Sa Jordan Taufua, 21. Ereatara Enari, 22. Lima Sopoaga, 23. Ed Fidow.

Fiji to ring the changes
Meanwhile, the Flying Fijians are expected to make some changes to their team that lost 32-26 to Wales last Sunday in Bordeaux.

The Fijians meet the Wallabies on Monday morning (Fiji time) in a must-win game for them.

Josua Tuisova is expected to start at No 12, pushing Semi Radradra out to the wing, with Levani Botia also expected to start at No 7.

Coach Simon Raiwalui will name his team on Friday local time.

Raiwalui said their focus this week had been on the Wallabies.

“We have very good spirit, the boys were laughing again and they were training well,” Raiwalui said.

Fiji sits on two points behind both Australia and Wales and needs to win against the Wallabies to keep their hopes of a quarter-final spot alive.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Fiji lost a game they could and should have won as Wales survived a late onslaught to take out their Rugby World Cup encounter 32-26 in the French southwestern city of Bordeaux.

It could have gone Fiji’s way right at the end.

Veteran Semi Radradra could not hold on to a floating long pass from replacement Juisova Tuisova and knocked on with 10 metres to go.

• READ MORE: RWC2023: Fiji names strongest possible side for Wales clash
• Rugby World Cup: How world media reacted to All Blacks thrashing
• Other World Rugby Cup 2023 reports

Radradra had only one player to beat but lost the ball as he went to take it.

That moment and the referee’s decisions appeared to count against the Flying Fijians.

English referee Matthew Carley disallowed two tries from Fiji, with Eroni Mawi and Mesake Doge piling over in each halves.

Flying Fijian head coach Simon Raiwalui said the referee worked against Fiji.

‘Respect their work but …’
“Respect their work but there were calls he made that worked against us,” said Raiwalui.

Captain Waisea Nayacalevu was understandably disappointed when he spoke to the media after the match.

“I am proud of my boys,” he said.

But it was the fired up Fijians who took the game to the Welsh in the last 20 minutes of the game and scored two tries, through replacements Doge and Tuisova.

The Welsh then displayed delaying tactics at the restarts after both Fiji’s second half tries as they took their time walking back to halfway, and their efforts were booed by the crowd.

Former Fijian sevens player Seva Waisega said both teams played well but Fiji left it too late.

“It was a great game from both teams. There are some decisions that we totally disagree with,” he said.

‘Great comeback’
“Great comeback from the Fiji team but I think it was a little bit too late,” he said.

Even former Fiji 7s coach Ben Ryan shared his disappointment on X, formerly Twitter.

“Rugby is so inconsistent,” he said.

Wales led 18-14 at half-time.

Wales managed to hang on as the Flying Fijians turned on the heat in the first spell.

Some questionable calls by Carley saw Fiji losing what looked like a sure try to prop Eroni Mawi who dived over Welsh tacklers beside the post as Fiji looked to regather the lead.

While fans thought that was a sure try, Carley and the TMO team ruled otherwise, saying that the ball was knocked forward on the try line.

Wales struck first points through flyhalf Dan Biggar straight after kick-off after the Fijians were penalised.

The Flying Fijians attacked right back and drove towards the posts but were penalised for holding the ball on the ground a second time.

Biggar kicked for touch and from the ensuing lineout, winger Josh Adams dotted down in the corner after he was standing out wide.

Missed kick attempts
Biggar and Teti Tela missed their attempts after as Fiji started putting together some phases.

Captain Nayacalevu picked the bouncing ball off the ground after a Fijian attack, and bust his way through the defence to score his side’s first try.

Half-back Frank Lomani converted and Fiji closed the gap to 8-7.

Another good Fijian attack saw flanker Lekima Tagitagivalu run over for his side’s second try which was converted by Lomani.

Biggar kicked another Welsh penalty before big George North ran a straight line and took the ball following a Welsh attack, running in untouched for his try.

Fiji were hard on attack again with Mawi diving over the Welsh tacklers only for the referee to rule a knock-on.

Close second half
Wales’ Loius Ress Zammit got on the scoreboard early in the second spell and Biggar’s conversion put the side ahead 25-14.

Fiji started putting some phases together and worked their way towards the tryline.

However, lanky No.7 Lekima Tagitagivalu was sin-binned for 10 minutes after infringing in the tackle-ruck situation, and Wales mauled their way to the tryline with Elliot Dee scoring.

Biggar’s ensuing conversion saw them lead 32-14.

With prop Liam Williams off the field for 10, the Fijians attacked again.

Tuisova barged his way across before Doge also crashed over.

Tela converted Tuisova’s try as Wales led 32-26 with time almost up.

One last attack
Then the Fijians made one last attack, Tuisova then firing a long pass out wide to Radradra, who spilled it forward in the last action of the game.

The fast paced, hard-hitting, ethralling match was labelled by the commentators as an instant Rugby World Cup classic.

The statistics show how good Fiji were in some aspects of the game.

For example, Fiji carried the ball over 652 metres against Wales’ 378.

The Flying Fijians made 174 runs, compared to Wales’ 81; gained carries 88 metres over the gain line against Wales’ 46; and made 169 passes compared to 108 for Wales.

The Fijian forwards dominated in the rucks battle, winning 130 over Wales’ 40.

Fiji now prepares to face Australia next week in a must win game if they want to get out of the group stages of the competition.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Flyhalf Teti Tela says he is under no pressure as he prepares to face Wales in the Flying Fijians first pool match at the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de Bordeaux in France tomorrow night (Monday morning Fiji time).

The World Cup kicked off at the Stade de France in Paris last night with France defeating the All Blacks 27-13 in New Zealand’s first ever loss in 31 cup pool matches.

Named at the pivotal flyhalf spot, following the last minute injury to Caleb Muntz, the Fijian Drua playmaker Tela says he and Muntz had been working well together during the campaign.

• READ MORE: Rugby World Cup: How world media reacted to All Blacks thrashing
• Other World Rugby Cup 2023 reports

He said it was unlucky that Muntz had been injured but that meant he had to play his A game, with head coach Simon Raiwalui showing faith in him when he announced his team at the Reinassance Hotel in Bordeaux yesterday.

“We’ve been pushing each other throughout so there was always hard work done and definitely no comfort zone for either of us throughout the campaign,” Tela said at a media conference following the team announcement.

Raiwalui has named his maiden Rugby World Cup 23-member squad for the opening match.

Captain Waisea Nayacalevu partners Semi Radradra in midfield and will lead the side.

‘Hard selection’
“We have a good team. We have very good preparation and we’ve had the confidence in the whole squad right from the beginning and we have worked that way so everyone has had their chance,” Raiwalui said.

“It has been a very hard selection.”

Veteran Levani Botia, who has been a revelation at number 7 after he opted to move to the forwards from his usual outside centre role, will start off the bench, his place going to Lekima Tagitagivalu, who has played well during the campaign.

Josua “The Bus” Tuisova will also run off the bench and will be used to strengthen the backline in the second spell.

Fourteen players will celebrate their first ever Rugby World Cup appearance while three players will mark their third campaign with the Flying Fijians at the mecca of the 15s tournament.

The front row was packed with experience with Eroni Mawi and Luke Tagi on the props while Sam Matavesi at hooker. The impressive pair of Isoa Nasilasila and Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta will pair up in the locks while Albert Tuisue and Lekima Tagitagivalu partner up on the flanks.

Viliame Mata was at number eight.

Halves combination
Frank Lomani and Teti Tela will share the halves combination while Vinaya Habosi and Selesitino Ravutaumada will provide speed on the wings. Waisea Nayacalevu and Semi Radradra will control the play in the midfield.

Ilaisa Droasese was at fullback. Raiwalui said they expect France to come at them hard and the team remains humbled.

“We go into this game, obviously humble. We’ve worked hard throughout the eight weeks and every weekend and our focus has always been one week at a time, what’s the next challenge, what have we got coming up this weekend,” he said.

“Totally focused on this game, nothing past this game. We understand Wales has a very good team, have a lot of experience and are well coached.

“So we understand the challenge and we are really looking forward to it.”

Captain Nayacalevu said they were excited and ready for the challenge, adding they will continue to depend on the support from fans.

“The boys are ready and can’t wait to play on Sunday,” he said.

“We just ask for your continued support for the team and we will do our best.”

The teams meet at 9pm tomorrow in France, which will be around 7am in Fiji and New Zealand on Sunday.

The Flying Fijians team to face Wales: 1. Eroni Mawi, 2. Sam Matavesi, 3. Luke Tagi, 4. Isoa Nasilasila, 5. Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, 6. Albert Tuisue, 7. Lekima Tagitagivalu, 8. Viliame Mata, 9. Frank Lomani, 10. Teti Tela, 11. Vinaya Habosi, 12. Semi Radradra, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 14. Selesitino Ravutaumada, 15. Ilaisa Droasese – Reserves:16. Tevita Ikanivere, 17. Peni Ravai, 18.Mesake Doge, 19. Temo Mayanavanua, 20. Levani Botia, 21. Simione Kuruvoli, 22. Josua Tuisova, 23. Sireli Maqala

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Flying Fijians were defeated by World Rugby Cup hosts France 34-17 in a pre-tournament build-up test in Nantes, France, yesterday.

The Semi Radradra-captained side scored a try in the first spell through hooker Tevita Ikanivere while flyhalf Caleb Muntz added a conversion and penalty as Fiji trailed the second-string French team 21-10 at the break.

Radradra, who has been signed up for the French club Lyon, scored Fiji’s lone try of the second spell as France got points on the board through a try and a couple of penalties after the break.

• READ MORE: Other Rugby World Cup reports

“It was a tough battle out there for our team, Radradra said after the match.

“We knew they would come out strong. We made a few mistakes which put the home side on the front foot.”

Planet Rugby commented: “After the previous matches of the weekend the visit of Fiji to France must have put a smile on the faces of all who watched the game as both teams produced a little crackerjack of a match that saw Les Bleus successfully explore their depth and the Flying Fijians demonstrate they are an outstanding team with ball in hand.”

Fiji will now play England at Twickenham next Sunday in their last warm-up match before the Rugby World Cup opener against Wales on September 11.

In other pre-Rugby World Cup matches at the weekend, Ireland defeated England 29-10 while South Africa thrashed Wales 52-16.

Georgia beat the United States 22-7 and Italy thrashed Romania 57-7.

Republished with permission.

New Zealand-adopted Fiji journalist, sports writer, national news agency reporter, anti-coup activist, media freedom advocate, storyteller and mentor Sri Krishnamurthi has died. He was just two weeks shy of his 60th birthday.

Born on 15 August 1963, just after his twin brother Murali, Sri grew up in the port city of Lautoka, Fiji’s second largest in the west of Viti Levu island. His family were originally Girmitya, indentured Indian plantation workers shipped out to Fiji under under harsh conditions by the British colonial rulers.

“My grandmother, Bonamma, came from India with my grandfather and came to work in the sugar cane fields under the indentured system,” Sri recalled in a recent RNZ interview with Blessen Tom.

• READ MORE: Sri Krishnamurthi reports for RNZ

“They lived in ‘lines’ — a row of one-room houses. They worked the cane fields from 6am to 6pm largely without a break. It was basically slavery in all but name.”

However, the Krishnamurthi family became one of the driving forces in building up Fiji’s largest NGO, TISI Sangam.

He made his initial mark as a journalist with The Fiji Times, Fiji’s most influential daily newspaper. However, along with many of his peers, he became disillusioned and affected with the trauma and displacement as a result of Sitiveni Rabuka’s two military coups in 1987 at the start of what became known as the country’s devastating “coup culture”.

Sri migrated to New Zealand to make a new life, as did most of his family members, and he was active for the Coalition for Democracy (CDF) in the post-coup years. He worked as a journalist for many organisations, including the NZ Press Association, the civil service, Parliament and more recently with RNZ Pacific.

Tana’s ‘sleepless nights’
His last story for RNZ Pacific was about Tana Umaga ”expecting sleepless nights” as the new coach of Moana Pasifika.

“A friend to many, he is best known in the journalism industry for his long-time stint at NZPA covering sport, and more recently for his work with the Pacific Media Centre,” said New Zealand Herald editor-at-large Shayne Currie in his Media Insider column.

“During his NZPA career, he covered various international rugby tours of New Zealand, America’s Cups, cricket tours, the Warriors in the NRL and was also among a handful of reporters who travelled to Mexico in 1999 for the All Whites’ first-ever appearance at Fifa’s Confederations Cup.”

His mates remember him as a generous friend and dedicated journalist.

“He enjoyed being a New Zealander, a true Kiwi if we can call someone that,” recalled Nik Naidu, an activist businessman, former journalist and trustee of the Whanau Community Centre and Hub, when speaking about his lifelong family friend at the funeral on Friday.

“Sri was one of the few Fijians and migrants over 30 years ago who embraced Māoridom and the first nation people of our land. It is only now in New Zealand that the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi is becoming better understood by the mainstream.

“Sri lived Te Tiriti all those years ago, and advocated for Māori and indigenous rights for so long.”

Postgraduate studies
I first got to know Sri in 2017 when he rolled up at AUT University and said he wanted to study journalism. I was floored by this idea. Although I hadn’t really known him personally before this, I knew him by reputation as being a talented sports journalist from Fiji who had made his mark at NZPA.

I remember asking Sri why did he want to do journalism — albeit at postgraduate level — when he could easily teach the course standing on his head. And then as we chatted I realised that he was rebuilding his life after a stroke that he had suffered travelling from Chennai to Bangalore, India, back in 2016.

Well, I persuaded him to branch out in his planned Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies and tackle a range of challenging new skills and knowledge, such as digital media. And I was honoured too that he wanted to take my Asia Pacific Journalism studies postgraduate course.

He wanted to build on his Fiji origins and expand his Pacific reporting skills, and he mentored many of his fellow postgraduates, people with life experience and qualifications but often new to journalism, especially Pacific journalism.

I realised he was somebody rather special who had a remarkable range of skills and an extraordinary range of contacts, even for a journalist. He seemed to know everybody under the sun. And he had a friendly manner and an insatiable curiosity.

From then he gravitated around Asia Pacific Journalism and the Pacific Media Centre. Next thing he was recruited as editor/writer of Pacific Media Watch, a media freedom project that we had been running in the centre since 2007 in collaboration with the Paris-based global watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

In spite of his post-stroke blues, he was one of the best project editors that we ever had. He had a tremendous zeal and enthusiasm no matter what handicap was in his way. He was willing to try anything — so keen to give it a go.

95bFM radio presenter
Sri became the presenter of our weekly Pacific radio programme Southern Cross on 95bFM, not an easy task with his voice issues, but he gained a popular following. He interviewed people from all around the Pacific.

Next challenge was when we sent him to the University of the South Pacific to join the journalism school team over there covering the 2018 Fiji General Election. We had hoped 2006 coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama would be ousted then, but he wasn’t – that came four years later last December.

However, Sri scored an exclusive interview with the original coup leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, the man responsible for Sri fleeing Fiji and who is now Prime Minister of Fiji. Sri got the repentent former Fiji strongman to admit that he was “coerced” by the defeated Alliance party into carrying out the first coup.

He graduated from AUT with a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies (Digital Media) in 2019 to add to his earlier MBA at Massey University. Several times he expressed to me that his ambition was to gain a PhD and join the USP journalism programme to mentor future Fiji journalists.

At AUT, he won the 2018 RNZ Pacific Prize for his Fiji coup coverage and in 2019 he was awarded the Storyboard Award for his outstanding contribution to diversity journalism. RNZ Pacific manager Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor tells a story about how he had declared to her at the time:  “I’m going to work for RNZ Pacific.” And he did.

However, the following year, our world changed forever with the COVID-19 pandemic and many plans crashed. Sri and I teamed up again, this time on a Pacific Covid and Climate crisis project, writing for Asia Pacific Report.  He recalled about this venture: “The fact that we kept the Pacific Media Watch project going when other news media around us — such as Bauer — were failing showed a tenacity that was unique and a true commitment to the Pacific.”

‘Virtual kava bar’
It was a privilege to work with Sri and to share his enthusiasm and friendship. He was an extraordinarily generous person, especially to fellow journalists. I was really touched when he and Blessen Tom, now also with RNZ, made a video dedicated to the Pacific Media Watch and my work.

Nik Naidu shares a tale of Sri’s generosity with a group of West Papuan students last year when their Indonesian government suddenly pulled their scholarships and left them in dire straits. AUT postgraduate communications Laurens Ikinia was their advocate, trying to get their visas extended and fundraising for them to complete their studies.

“Many people don’t know this, but Lauren’s rent was late by a year — more than $3000 — and Sri organised money and paid for this. That was Sri, deep down the kindest of souls.”

During his Pacific Media Watch stint, Sri wrote several generous profiles of regional colleagues, including The Pacific Newsroom, the “virtual kava bar” news success founded by Pacific media veterans Sue Ahearn and Michael Field, and also of the expanding RNZ Pacific newsroom team with Koroi Hawkins appointed as the first Melanesian news editor.

But he struggled at times with depression and diabetes and his journalism piece that really stands out for me is an article that he wrote about living with a stroke for three years. It was scary but inspirational and it took huge courage to write. As he wrote at the time:

“You learn new tricks when you have a stroke – words associated with images, or words through the process of elimination worked for me. And then there was the trusted old Google when you couldn’t be bothered.

“You learn to use bungee shoelaces or Velcro shoes because tying shoelaces just won’t happen. The right arm is bung and you are back to typing with two fingers – as I’m doing now. At the same time, technology is your biggest ally.”

Sri Krishnamurthi died last week on August 2 — way too early. He was a great survivor against the odds. Moce, Sri, your friends and colleagues will fondly remember your generous spirit and legacy.

Dr David Robie is a retired journalism professor and founding director of the AUT Pacific Media Centre. He worked with Sri Krishnamurthi for six years as an academic mentor, friend and journalism colleague. This article is published under a community partnership with RNZ.

Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) has confirmed it underpaid its women rugby players and still owes them their dues from last year’s World Cup.

In an extraordinary admission of fault, FRU Trustees Board interim chairman Peter Mazey apologised to Fijiana players and acknowledged the women for their “strength and honesty” in highlighting player welfare concerns.

“I can only apologise to the women who represented Fiji so proudly in our Fijiana 15s and Fijiana Drua teams,” Mazey said via a statement late on Friday night.

• READ MORE: Other Fiji rugby reports

He added that the Trustees would be called to meet “early next week to enable us to review everything and correct the situation”.

Mazey said he had “personally contacted” Fijiana captain Sereima Leweniqila “to address the issues” she had raised via social media this week.

Leweniqila’s claims about players not receiving their allowances and payments promised to them was also backed up by other senior players, including Fijiana Drua captain Bitila Tawake and Asinate Severi, daughter Fiji Sevens great and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Waisale Serevi.

The FRU refuted the claims on Thursday, saying it had paid what was owed to the players.

However, that turned out to be false after Mazey’s confirmation the women’s team players were in fact owed money.

‘Further investigations’
“Today [Friday], further investigations and evidence received have shown that the women were promised F$300 a day, as claimed, despite the Rugby Allowance policy,” Mazey said.

He said after his discussions with Leweniqilia, he also found out the players who represented Fiji at the 2022 World Cup were also underpaid and did not receive any response from FRU to their queries.

“I must thank all of those great women’s rugby players who had the strength and honesty to come out and bring their rights to the trustees’ attention.

“I am only sorry they were forced to use social media to achieve what is their right due to promises made.”

While it is not entirely clear why the payments were held, Mazey said the Trustees want to meet to the women ruggers “as soon as possible to address all other issues they have raised and to obtain their help in guiding us in the restructuring and the organisation of Fiji Rugby as a professional body moving forward.”

‘Enough is enough’ – Fijiana captain
On Friday, Leweniqila had confirmed to RNZ Pacific she called for FRU Trustees Board to investigate why the women had not been paid what was promised to them during the recent international commitments.

Leweniqila said they were still querying why things were changed when they were told during the one-off Test against the Australian Wallaroos and the Oceania Women’s Rugby Championship that the allowance of $300 per day had been approved.

She said team manager Vela Naucukidi had told them before they left for the two events that each player would receive $300 per day on the tour and $100 while in camp in Fiji.

“I think enough is enough, so we had to speak,” she said.

On Wednesday, the FRU released a statement claiming all dues were paid to the women.

FRU administrator Simione Valenitabua said the only money owed to the players was the $8000 per player promised by the Fijian government.

Valenitabua had said the Fijiana players were paid $100 per day while on tour, according to the pay structure that was in place.

“I do not know who made the blunder to be honest. That’s what the girls are talking about,” Leweniqila said

“Before we left for Australia, our manager had told us that. They did pay. But not the $300.”

RNZ Pacific has reached out to Naucukidi for comment.

Meanwhile, RNZ Pacific asked Valenitabua if reviewing the players’ pay structure was on FRU’s agenda to address future problems.

He said the FRU Trustees were working on reviewing the pay structure.

“[It is] exactly what we are doing but thanks for raising it,” he said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Fiji Rugby Union is expected to lose its seat on the World Rugby Council.

This means FRU loses its voting rights and RNZ Pacific reported that the decision was made in Dublin, Ireland, last night and a statement was expected later today.

However, FRU operations manager and acting chief executive Sale Sorovaki said that the suspension did not hinder Fiji’s chances at participating in World Rugby sanctioned tournaments such as the Rugby World Cup in France later this year.

• READ MORE: Fiji Rugby Union operating illegally

“There will be a media release by World Rugby stating their status on the issue,” said Sorovaki.

“If we lose our seat in the council, it does not stop us from participating at all World Rugby sanctioned tournaments, including the Rugby World Cup later this year and HSBC 7s series tournaments.”

RNZ Pacific reports that it was revealed last month that the FRU board had been operating illegally.

The FRU will not be able to vote on any world rugby issue until its governance and legality issues are dealt with.

Following revelations by the Suva Rugby Union last month that the FRU was not legally operating, the Fiji government — through the Minister of Justice Siromi Turaga — suspended all board members and cancelled the scheduled annual general meeting on April 19.

Filipe Marayawa is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

SPECIAL REPORT: By ABC Backstory editor Natasha Johnson

When Tahlea Aualiitia talks about hosting the ABC’s new Pacific-focused news and current affairs TV programme, The Pacific, her voice breaks and she becomes emotional.

Personally, it’s a career milestone, anchoring her first TV show after a decade working mostly in radio, producing ABC local radio programmes and presenting Pacific Mornings on ABC Radio Australia. But it’s also much more than that.

Aualiitia grew up in Tasmania and is of Samoan (and Italian) heritage. She has strong connections to the country and the Pacific Islander community in Australia.

• SEE MORE: Follow The Pacific

What moves her so profoundly about The Pacific is that the 30-minute, weekly programme is being broadcast across the Pacific on ABC Australia, the ABC’s international TV channel, as well as in Australia (on the ABC News Channel and iview), and is produced by a team with a deep understanding of the region and features stories filed by local journalists based in Pacific nations.

“For me, it’s representation and I think that is really important,” she says.

“I’m probably going to cry because for so long I feel that in Australia and on mainstream TV, Pacific Islanders have been, at best, under-represented and, at worst, misrepresented.

“Given the geopolitical interest, there is more focus on the Pacific but my hope for this show is that it will highlight Pacific voices, really centre those voices as the people telling their stories and change the narrative.

‘The ABC cares’
“It shows the ABC cares, we are not just saying we decide what you watch, we’re involving you in what we’re doing, and I think that that makes a difference.”

Aualiitia’s father was born in Samoa and moved to New Zealand at the age of 12, then later to Australia. Her mother’s brother married a Samoan woman, so Samoan culture was celebrated in her immediate and extended family.

She recalls a childhood shaped by Samoan food, dance and song, and the importance of family, faith and rugby. But from her experience, “the narrative” about the Pacific in Australia has tended towards being negative or patronising.

“I think people tend to see the Pacific as a monolith and there are a lot of stereotypes about what a Pacific Islander is, especially in view of the climate change crisis — there’s this idea everyone’s a victim and they should all just move to Australia,” she says.

“There’s a lot of stuff you carry as a brown journalist. When I hear a story on the news about a Pacific Islander and a crime, I brace myself and think about what that might mean for my day, is it going to make my day at harder when I walk out onto the street, will it make my day at work harder?

“I’ve had people say to me when they learn I have an arts degree, ‘oh, your parents must be so proud of you because you’re the first person in your family who has gone to uni’. And that’s not true, my dad has a PhD in chemistry.

“It’s indicative of ideas that people have of what you’re capable of, what you can do, and that’s the power of the media to shape those narratives and change those narratives.

Facebook ‘reality’ check
“When I started presenting Pacific Mornings, I would interview people from across the Pacific and people would find me on Facebook, message me, saying, ‘I didn’t know any Pacific Islanders were working at the ABC’.

“I was just doing my job, but they said they were proud of me, of the visibility and that it was a good thing that it was happening. So, I hope this programme re-frames things a little bit by showing the rich diversity of the Pacific, its different cultures, resilience, and the joy of being Pacific.”

The Pacific is being produced by the ABC’s Asia Pacific Newsroom (APN), based in Melbourne, with funding from ABC International Broadcast and Digital Services.

While the scope of the ABC’s international services has fluctuated over the years, depending on federal government funding levels, an injection of $32 million over four years to ABC International Services allocated in the 2022 budget has enabled this first-of-its-kind programme to be made, among a suite of other initiatives under the Indo-Pacific Broadcast strategy.

“The APN has been a trusted content partner for the ABC’s International Services team for many years and already has deep Pacific expertise,” says Claire Gorman, head of international services.

“We have been working with the APN to produce our flagship programmes Pacific Beat and Wantok for ABC Radio Australia and have been wanting to produce a TV news programme for Pacific audiences for some time, but until now have not have the funding for it.

“The Pacific is the first of many exciting developments in the pipeline. We believe it is more important than ever before for Australians and Pacific audiences to have access to independent, trusted information about our region.”

Pacific-wide team
Joining Aualiitia on air is long-serving Pacific Beat reporter and executive producer Evan Wasuka and journalist Johnson Raela, who previously worked in New Zealand and the Cook Islands.

Correspondent Lice Movono, based in Suva, Fiji, and Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong in Honiara, Solomon Islands, are contributing to the programme as part of a developing “Local Journalism Network”, also funded under the Indo-Pacific Broadcast strategy, to use the expertise of independent journalists located in the region.

Behind the scenes are APN supervising producer Sean Mantesso, producers Gabriella Marchant, Dinah Lewis Boucher, Nick Sas and APN managing editor Matt O’Sullivan.

“The ABC has covered the Pacific for decades but largely for the Pacific audience,” says O’Sullivan.

“In recent years, that’s mostly been via Pacific Beat and increasingly through digital and video storytelling. We’ve felt for some time that there’s growing interest in the Pacific within Australia and there’s also a massive Pacific diaspora in Australia with strong links to the region.

“So, we’ve felt a need to share our content more broadly. The Pacific programme will cover the breadth of Pacific life beyond palm trees and tourism, from politics to jobs and the economy, climate change, culture and sport.”

Lice Movono has been working as a journalist in Fiji for 16 years and has previously filed for the ABC. She believes elevating the work of regional journalists across the ABC programs and platforms, through the Local Journalism initiative, will help provide more informed coverage of Pacific affairs.

“I believe it’s critical for journalists from within the Pacific to be at the centre of storytelling about the Pacific,” she says.

“A few years ago, while working in a local media organisation, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Europe and it shocked and saddened me to find that there are people on the other side of the world who have little or no understanding of what it means to live with the reality of climate change here in the region.

“So, it means everything for me to work with the ABC, which has one of the widest, if not the widest reach in the Pacific region and to have access to a platform that tells stories about the Pacific and Fiji, in particular, to the rest of the world, to tell authentic stories through the lens of a Pacific Islander, and an Indigenous one at that, about the realities of what Pacific people face.”

While the covid pandemic and various lockdowns curbed a lot of international news gathering, it provided an opportunity to showcase the work of locally based reporters on ABC domestic channels.

“We’ve often used stringers in the region, but covid showed us the value journalists in country can offer,” says O’Sullivan.

“Because we couldn’t fly Australian-based crews into the region during the pandemic, we relied more on journalists in the Pacific telling their stories, for example during the 2021 riots in Solomon Islands.

“We are now building on that foundation of local expertise and knowledge by establishing the Local Journalism Network of independent journalists to report for the ABC.

“We’ve had producers doing training with them, teaching them how to shoot good TV pictures and we’ve provided mobile journalism kits that enable them to quickly do a TV cross.

“In filing for the ABC, they can tell stories local media often can’t but the challenge for us is protecting them.”

Support and protection from the ABC has been welcomed by Movono. Renowned for her tough questioning, she has endured personal threats and harassment over the course of her career, but the country is now moving into a new era of openness with the newly-elected Rabuka government repealing the controversial Media Industry Development Act that was introduced under military law in 2010 and has been regarded as a restraint on media freedom.

In an international scoop, Movono landed an interview with the new Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, for the first episode of The Pacific.

“When I knew that there was going to be a segment of The Pacific where we could Talanoa with leaders of the Pacific, it was important for me to position the ABC as the one international organisation that Rabuka would do an interview with,” she says.

“I knew, with the new government only weeks into power, it was going to be a challenge. The government is dealing with a failing economy, a divided country, high inflation, high levels of poverty, the ongoing recovery from covid and trying to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“But he has made progress as a Pacific leader, as the leader of a country just coming out of a military dictatorship, and he’s done some significant work in the region. So, it was a very significant interview, probably one of the most important assignments of my career.”

In addition to new content and engagement of local journalists, ABC International Services is also expanding the FM footprint for ABC Radio Australia and enhancing media training across the region.

As she prepared for the first episode of The Pacific to go to air, Tahlea Aualiitia was keen to hear the feedback from the audience and — with some trepidation– from family and friends in Samoa.

“I think that’s the part that I’m most nervous about,” she says.

“I know that they will lovingly make fun of my struggling to pronounce Samoan words properly, given I grew up in Australia, but I know they’re already proud of me because of the work I’m doing here.

“Having said that, my brother is a doctor, so I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level of family pride but I’m getting closer!”

The Pacific premiered on ABC Australia last Thursday. This article is republished with permission.

By Sri Krishnamurthi

Fiji Drua beat Moana Pasifika in both teams’ first match of Super Rugby Pacific 2023 in a pulsating game that went to the wire before Fiji Drua triumphed 36-34 at Mt Smart stadium.

There were 11 tries in a fast-paced encounter on Saturday, with the Drua’s sixth score, in the 77th minute to substitute wing Taniela Rakuro, who was elevated from the development squad on Thursday.

The contest could have gone either way, and while it wasn’t a game for the purists given the high rate of errors, it was an engrossing game.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific rugby reports

Moana Pasifika attempted to dominate up front and were rewarded early on with tries to Abraham Pole and Chris Apoua.

However, the Drua always looked threatening with hooker and captain Tevita Ikanavere, who was in standout form making barging runs. He was rewarded with two tries.

Other notable performances were from loose forwards Joseva Tamani and Kitione Salawa and backline star Iosefo Masi.

Moana Pasifika’s 12-0 early lead was extended to 26-19 at half-time.

It remained an even contest before Masi completed his brace to level the scores at 31-31.

Skipper Christian Leali’ifano put Moana Pasifika back in front with the only penalty shot of the match before the Drua produced a mesmerising try to snatch the lead and victory, with Rakuro going over.

Impressive second half
Fiji Drua coach Mick Byrne was delighted by the effort.

“We started slowly but the boys got into it after we had a chat at half-time, and they played with the freedom that I allowed them,” he said.

“Put it this way, we were looking forward to playing our games in front of our fans and do they deserve it?”

Aaron Mauger was disappointed for his Pasifika team.

“I am proud of the guys for putting in the effort against a team that came at them.

“They started really well we gave them a couple of opportunities to get back into the game and I think our game management was poor.

“We gave them opportunities and they were good enough to take them.”

At Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland: Fijian Drua 36 (Tevita Ikanivere 2 tries 20min, 45min, Joseva Tamani try 28min, Iosefo Masi 2 tries 36min, 58min, Taniela Rakuro try 77min; Teti Tela 2 con; Caleb Muntz con), Moana Pasifika 34 (Abraham Pole 2 tries 2min, 50min, Chris Apoua try 8min, Mike Curry try 24min, Danny Toala try 39min; Christian Lealiifano pen, 3 con). Ht: 19-26.

Yellow card: Sam Slade (Moana) 26min.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

When Fijians elect a new parliament on December 14, it is likely their votes will be counted fairly — yet the country will remain a conditional and fragile democracy.

This will be the third election since the “coup to end all coups” in 2006, which followed two earlier coups in 1987 and a civilian overthrow of the elected government in 2000.

After the 2006 coup, Fijian military head Voreqe Bainimarama appointed himself prime minister. In 2013 he rejected a new constitution commissioned to support a democratic state.

• READ MORE: Democracy spreads in waves – but shared cultural history might matter more than geography
• Behind the ‘world’s friendliest COVID protocols’, Fiji’s health system remains stretched and struggling
• NZ journalists arrested in Fiji have been released but a new era of press freedom is yet to arrive

Instead, he promulgated his own. Section 131(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji states:

It shall be the overall responsibility of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to ensure at all times the security, defence and wellbeing of Fiji and all Fijians.

In other words, overall responsibility for the wellbeing of Fiji and its people does not belong to the government or Parliament. The military interprets this as meaning it is “mandated to be the guardian of Fiji”.

Democracy’s fragility is entrenched. Furthermore, Fiji’s unicameral Parliament is not big enough to support robust parliamentary checks on government, even though it will grow from 51 to 55 members at this year’s election.

Freedom and the military
Bainimarama went from self-appointed to elected prime minister in 2014 when his FijiFirst party won the first election under the new constitution. It won again in 2018 with just over 50 percent of the vote in the country’s proportional representation system.

International observers found votes were fairly counted, but the campaign was marred by intimidation of opposition candidates.

Shortly before the 2018 election, opposition leader Sitivini Rabuka was charged with electoral fraud. He was acquitted just in time to take his place as a candidate.

Rabuka was prime minister between 1992 and 1999, having led the coups in 1987 and having described democracy as “a foreign flower unsuited to Fijian soil”. In 2022, however, Rabuka’s People’s Alliance, in coalition with the National Federation Party, is the most likely alternative government.

Cost of living, poverty and peaceful and orderly government are important election issues.

Significantly, though, the People’s Alliance manifesto suggests exploring amendments to the constitution. It also wants to remove measures that suppress human rights, previously highlighted by Amnesty International and others.

Land rights and the protection of the indigenous iTaukei culture are also important in this campaign, to the extent they have prompted an outburst typical of Bainimarama’s florid rhetorical style. At a campaign rally last week, he said of an opponent’s land rights policy:

This conversation will cause stabbing, murder and blood spilled on our land, and unlawful entering [of property] will happen if that conversation is condoned.

Fragile free speech
There are also restrictions on political reporting. As the Fiji Parliamentary Reporters’ Handbook (published in 2019) explains: “As in rugby, knowing the rules is the difference between enjoying the game and not being able to follow it.”

Journalists are reminded that the right to free speech does not allow “incitement to violence or insurrection”. The handbook goes on to remind them:

There is scope in the Constitution to “limit […] rights and freedoms […] in the interests of national security, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or the orderly conduct of elections”.

Interpretations of these limits can be broad. In November, for example, longstanding government critic and election candidate Richard Naidu was convicted of “contempt scandalising the court” following a lighthearted Facebook post in which he pointed out a spelling mistake in a High Court judgment.

The charge — which Amnesty International says should be withdrawn — was brought by the attorney-general.

Towards a more stable democracy
In my 2017 book, Indigeneity: a politics of potential – Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, I argued that political stability requires ordered and principled measures for protecting iTaukei (ethnic Fijian) rights to land and culture. This is a matter of respecting human dignity, but also to ensure those rights are not used as a pretext for settling wider and sometimes unrelated conflicts.

Stability does not arise only from the freedom to vote and from being confident one’s vote will be fairly counted. It comes also from well-informed expectations of what governments should do and what constitutions should protect, including:

• a free and diverse media, with a culture of detailed and critical investigation and reporting on public affairs
• a politically independent military, police and judiciary that aren’t called on to intimidate opponents
• a larger parliament that is more representative and allows stronger checks on the executive.

For now, while the military enjoys considerable credibility and support, its role as defender and arbiter of the public good ensures perpetual instability.

The diplomatic and economic value of its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping missions means it remains an important national institution. And the recent gift of military peacekeeping vehicles from the US is an example of the soft diplomacy used by democratic states, including Australia and New Zealand, to influence contemporary Fiji.

The effectiveness of that influence will be tested at some point. In the meantime, the Fijian people are free to change their government on December 14. But the possibility they will not be free to keep that government means, whatever the election outcome, democracy has lost before a vote is cast.

Dr Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

About 23,000 Melanesians live in Aotearoa and yesterday they had their first very own festival showcasing their diverse cultures.

Fijians make up the bulk of the population but there are also ni-Vanuatu, Solomon Islanders, Papua New Guineans, West Papuans and Kanaks from New Caledonia.

The founder and director of the Melanesian Festival, Joana Monolagi, said after years of planning and lots of patience it was wonderful that the event had finally happened.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific cultures reports

“From the people that I have spoken to through this planning they have come and voiced their feelings to me and their views are that it’s been a long time coming,” she said.

“They’ve been praying and waiting for something to showcase Melanesia.”

Ni-Vanuatu and Melanesian community advocate Leina Isno said the festival put a spotlight on cultures in the Pacific that “often go unnoticed” in New Zealand.

“A part of the Pacific that is so under-recognised and under spoken about, especially in the culture of New Zealand. We deserve that recognition, we deserve to be talked about.”

The festival included food stalls, arts and craft displays and cultural performances.

Papuan students
One of the groups that performed is the Papuan Student Association Oceania, led by AUT postgraduate communications student Laurens Ikinia.

Ikinia said he was grateful to the event organisers who had worked tirelessly to give the Melanesian community a platform.

“It’s incredible how they’ve put their commitment and their focus just to make this event happen,” he said.

The West Papuan students performing at the festival yesterday.   Video: Nik Naidu/Whānau hub

“It’s quite sad to say this year is gonna be the first year for the first celebration but you know on the other hand it’s a great acknowledgement for Melanesian communities who are living in Aotearoa.”

Monolagi said she spent years working to get everything to fall into place and she was determined, now it had come to fruition, that this weekend’s festival would not be a one-off.

She said it had all the potential of reaching the same level as other cultural events in New Zealand.

“There’s room to move,” she said.

“I think in this short time I’ve experienced the interest not just in Auckland but I recently came back from Wellington and they looked forward to coming up this weekend to celebrate with us.”

The Melanesian Festival took place at the Waitemata Rugby Club Grounds in Henderson, Auckland.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Fijiana are one step away from reaching the quarterfinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup — but they have to beat favourite France first.

To qualify, they need to overcome the in-form French team at the Northland Events Centre in Whangārei on Saturday.

It is an opportunity that has arisen as a result of a thrilling 21-17 last-gasp upset over favourites South Africa last weekend, with Fijiana stealing the game with a try scored in the final minute.

• READ MORE: France lose star half back Laure Sansus
• Fijiana survive scare from South Africa to win 21-17 in dying seconds
• Other Rugby World Cup reports

Most commentators did not expect Fijiana to win, having entered the game off the back of an 84-19 thrashing at the hands of England in their opening game.

“I have no words for it. I am just so grateful for the girls. We talked about leaving everything on the field and playing with our hearts,” Fijiana captain Asinate Serevi said.

“One thing that Fijians are known for is that even with three or one minute left on the clock, we can still win a game — and that’s what we did,” Asinate added.

“As a captain they made me look good, so I’m forever grateful for the game they put on.”

First Pacific qualifier
Being the first Pacific Island nation to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup is an accomplishment, but for Fijiana, qualifying for the quarterfinals is the driving goal.

Despite a disheartening loss to England, Senirusi Serivakula said Fijiana’s winning ambitions have never faltered.

“The message was clear from the beginning, which was that we must beat South Africa. That was the message, that we are not going to walk away without a win over South Africa,” coach Senirusi Seruvakula said.

“I’m proud that the girls stuck to it, and they played as a team to the last minute.”

That message was delivered in a stunning fashion, with a last-minute try scored right between the posts by forward Karalaini Naisewa. The number eight had to crash through three tacklers to get the ball over the line.

That try has since gone viral and Fijiana players have now become overnight celebrities in Fiji.

The star of the team, prop forward Siteri Rasolea, was awarded player of the match. She relentlessly ploughed through South Africa’s forwards from beginning to end.

Public admiration
Rasolea had already won public admiration in Fiji after she turned down an offer to play for her home nation Australia, opting to represent her heritage nation Fiji.

Rasolea said the team were still coming to terms with their accomplishment.

“Our girls had to dig deep and really fight for each other,” said Rasolea.

“I’m still in awe of it now. I want to dedicate this to everyone who supported me at home. It wasn’t easy leaving Australia to go to Fiji, so I fulfil my dreams.”

Like Rasolea, many of Fijiana’s players flocked from overseas with the purpose of representing their heritage.

Fijiana captain Asinate Serevi, who is the daughter of 7s legend Waisele Serevi, represented the United States for three years before switching to Fiji.

“It means the whole world to me. I can’t thank God enough for all the support. My plan was just to play for Fiji and represent my country. And being named captain is honestly beyond dreams,” Serevi said.

‘Huge step to win’
“It’s a huge step for us to win one game in the World Cup means to us like we’ve won the world cup already. We know France is going to be tougher and we have things to work on.”

Regardless of Fijiana’s big win, France remains the overwhelming favourite, having easily defeated South Africa 40-5 and narrowly losing to England 13-7.

However, they have been weakened by the loss of their staff halfback Laure Sansus, who is out if the World Cup due to a knee injury in the first quarter of the game against England.

Sansus, the 2022 Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship tore her anterior cruciate ligament and will be replaced by centre Marie Dupouy. However, she will stay on in New Zealand as France’s “chief fan”.

Coach Seruvakula is optimistic that Fijiana can win if they play a perfect game.

“I believe in the girls, that they’ll play to the last minute,” said Seruvakula.

“If we want to play in the quarterfinals, we have to do right during training and through the process everything will take care of itself come game day against France.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Fijiana 15s defeated 13th ranked South Africa 21-17 today to get their first win at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Fiji struck first through winger Ilisapeci Delaiwau in the 12th minute after some broken play and her try was successfully converted by Lavena Cavuru.

A couple of missed opportunities where the 16th ranked Fijiana could have extended their lead, but luckily the South Africans were not able to capitalise on this.

• READ MORE:  Red Roses hot favourite to win 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup
• Other Rugby World Cup reports

Zintle Mpupha sliced through the Fijiana defence and dotted down between the sticks making the conversion easy for Janse van Rensburg to level the score.

Akanisi Sokoiwasa cruised over for a try on the stroke of half-time with Cavuru getting the conversion to take a 14-7 lead at the break.

In the 59th minute, South Africa won a penalty and they powered over on their second attempt after recycling the ball quickly with Aseza Hele diving over to level the score 14-all.

Janse van Rensburg struck with a penalty goal to give the South Africans the lead with 40 seconds left, but the Fijianas had the last say with No 8 Karalaini Naisewa brushing aside the defence to score under the sticks.

Fijiana will face France at Northland Events Centre, Whangarei, next Saturday at 6.15pm in their final pool game.

Alipate Narawa is a Fiji Village reporter.

The Blacks Ferns 41-17 win over the Wallaroos on the field at Auckland’s Eden Park last night was good, but the one off it was better.

There had been a lot of conjecture going into the Rugby World Cup about just how people would respond, given the team’s recent history and the fact that women’s rugby has never really been a priority for those running the game in Aotearoa New Zealand.

But it took a World Cup to finally get one thing right.

• READ MORE: Red Roses hot favourite to win 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup
• Black Ferns overcome horror start to beat Australia 41-17
• Favourites England hand Fiji 14-try mauling at World Cup
• France score six tries to win Rugby World Cup 2021 opener

The people in charge knew that the most important ones at a sporting event aren’t the players. They’re not the volunteers, or the entertainers, or even the guy cooking Fritz’s Wieners.

It’s the ones who are there for the first time ever, most usually children but occasionally adults who are giving something new a go.

They’re the most important because their entire experience could well mean they come back next time, and again and again until they call themselves true fans. They will bring their friends, their family and eventually their own children.

If the sporting event can get it right, they lock in that person for life.

Lacklustre experiences
It’s something rugby hasn’t been very good at lately. Lacklustre game day experiences have played a huge role in crowds for everything below (and sometimes including) the All Blacks gradually declining, to the point where NPC attendances are pretty much non-existent. There is nothing unique, very little that’s special.

Last night at Eden Park flipped that notion on its head. While there is a conversation to be had around just exactly how many fans were in attendance (43,000) and whether a clearly not full stadium can be described as “sold out”, in the end it didn’t really matter.

Looking around showed a different sight than an All Black test match, far more children and families. Groups of people who were clearly drawn to women’s rugby and its World Cup for reasons they’d arrived at themselves.

It was up to the day itself to carry them further.

If it was their first time at a rugby game, what they got most definitely ensured that they’d be coming back. The wave ridden by new fans of a fixture that, for a while there, the Black Ferns had no right to win, is a wonderful and unique experience of its own.

It was an evening of making sure the fan experience was paramount: from Rita Ora’s performance to affordable tickets to the Black Ferns making sure every single kid got a photo after the game – even if it meant they didn’t get into the sheds until well after 10pm.

The energy of the crowd was clearly different too to one usually found at Eden Park. For a start, there were no massive howls of protest at refereeing decisions. No one was getting rotten drunk either, despite it being Saturday night.

Happy and safe
The general feel was that this was an environment that you could feel happy and safe in, something that is less directly quantifiable than numbers but infinitely more valuable in the broader context.

Does it mean that every Black Ferns test can be assured of a big crowd if they are held in a big stadium? Probably not, as the World Cup factor plays a huge role in getting people along.

But it’s a new dawn for women’s rugby, this time with an actual professional NZ Rugby competition to follow it up and a commitment by World Rugby to continue the momentum in test matches. It is proof that if you do things right and invest properly, people will show up in numbers.

From an elite level perspective, this all makes sense as it should have all happened years ago. But there was a sign during the week that the penny had finally dropped in regard to what it will mean in the long term.

When asked about how the Black Ferns would inspire player numbers, coach Wayne Smith said that “the future generations will be inspired to play rugby, be fans and follow the game”.

That’s the nail on the head, because it’s not going to matter whether those future fans are girls or boys. They will grow up and fill the seats at Eden Park and other stadiums.

While the World Cup opener should rightfully be held up as a celebration of women’s rugby right now, years from now it will be remembered as an important day for the national game of New Zealand in general.

• In the first two games of the World Cup yesterday, France beat South Africa 40-5 and England crushed Fiji 84-19 at Eden Park. Today Italy beat USA 22-10, Canada overwhelmed Japan 41-5 and Wales beat Scotland 18-15 at Whangārei’s Northland Events Centre.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Red Roses of England are overwhelming favourites to win the 2022 Rugby World Cup being hosted by New Zealand starting on Saturday.

While much of New Zealand’s parochial media is unashamedly giving wide coverage to the Black Ferns and little space to the other 11 teams in the tournament, it is England’s form that warrants them being taken seriously.

How good are the Red Roses? Very good as they have won 25 tests on the trot, including beating the Black Ferns by record margins — 43-12 and 56-15 — in 2021 when New Zealand toured Europe.

• READ MORE: Keep tabs on the Rugby World Cup
• Other sport reports

Not only that, but France who are in pool C with England, Fiji and South Africa, also beat the Black Ferns last year — in Castres 29-7 and in Pau 38-13 on that miserable tour for New Zealand.

The Red Roses won the Grand Slam and the Six Nations this year when they beat France 24-12 in a come-from-behind win in front of a sold-out crowd at Stade Jean Dauger.

The Red Roses form will come as no surprise when you realise the whole squad turned professional way back in January 2019, whereas the Black Ferns moved closer to fulltime rugby players this year with contracts worth $35,000.

Those at the lower end of the Black Ferns contracts will make about $60,000 a year, with leading players earning in excess of $130,000.

Triple header
The tournament kicks off with a triple header at Eden Park on Saturday with France playing South Africa in pool C, then England playing Fiji — who will undoubtedly be the dark horses of the pool with many of the women coming from the victorious Fijiana Drua team that won the Women’s Super W Rugby title this year 32-26 over New South Wales.

They will be captained by No 8 Sereima Leweniqila who hails from the Marist club in Fiji.

As she says, “the most memorable game I played this year was beating the Waratahs in the Super W rugby final”. No doubt those memories will be enhanced should Fiji pull a David versus Goliath result when they take on the English juggernaut.

The final game at Eden Park on Saturday features traditional foes New Zealand and Australia from pool A which also has Scotland and Wales.

While the trans-Tasman rivals will be top dogs in the pool, they will be wary of their European rivals who could on their day cause an upset.

The next day at the only other venue outside Auckland — the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei — Italy takes on USA in pool B followed by the other pool B game between Japan and the powerhouse of North America, Canada.

Scotland and Wales do battle in the third game in Whangarei with the winners set to take points towards the quarterfinals.

Titans of European rugby
The following Saturday, October 15, the titans of European rugby — the Red Roses of England — face-off against France who are known for having a committed forward pack.

“Where women’s rugby is now is just crazy compared to the first World Cup I played in,” says Sarah Hunter, England’s captain, as she prepares to feature in her fourth global adventure.

With in excess of 35,000 people expected to pack Eden Park, it shows how much women’s rugby is being followed.

As an aside, this month’s Rugby News has All Black winger Caleb Clarke on the cover so you would be forgiven for thinking misogyny is still alive in Aotearoa despite hosting the World Cup.

In fairness to editor Campbell Burnes, he did put out special publication for the World Cup and has been an advocate for women’s rugby.

As the England captain says, “Every World Cup has been special but I genuinely feel this World Cup will be the biggest and most competitive there has ever been.

“And I genuinely don’t think we’ve realised the potential of this England team yet. The blend of youth and experience across the board, the versatility of the players — the talent in this side is incredible.

‘Exciting time’
“It’s a really exciting time for English rugby.”

England lost the last World Cup final to New Zealand 41-32 in Belfast in 2017 and are sure to be out for a measure of revenge against the Black Ferns should the two sides make the final, if not clashing in the previous knockout rounds of the tournament.

The Black Ferns featuring the amazing Portia Woodman had to have a major rebuild this year with the affectionately dubbed “professor” Wayne Smith named as coach this year.

Along with scrum guru Mike Cron they have halted the slide of the Black Ferns who face an almost herculean task if they are to win.

They began the year winning the Pacific Four series against USA, Canada and Australia to show we are on the right track.

They beat the USA 50-6, Australia 23-10 and Canada 28-0 then played Australia in home and away series winning 52-5 and 22-14 win in Adelaide.

As England head coach Simon Middleton says philosophically, “we acknowledge that if we have a bad day and France, New Zealand or possibly Canada have a good one we could be in trouble.

“If we play against France or New Zealand in the knockout stages we’re going to have to be at our very best. Any team coached by Wayne Smith and Mike Cron is going to be quite good, I reckon.”

While Waitakere Stadium in West Auckland will also host games, the final will be played at Eden Park on Saturday, November 12.

• Day 1 matches: 2.15pm: South Africa v France (Pool C), Eden Park
  4.45pm: Fiji v England (Pool C), Eden Park
  7.15pm: Australia v New Zealand (Pool A), Eden Park
• Full match schedule

Kiwi-born and Fiji-raised France rugby centre Virimi Vakatawa has revealed that he has a heart condition that has forced him to retire from the game.

The Naluwai, Naitasiri man made the announcement during the Paris rugby club Racing 92’s media conference last night attended by France coach Fabien Galthié, who choked back tears while giving a tribute.

Vakatawa, 30, said: “Rugby is my passion. The hardest moment of all of this was yesterday in front of my teammates.

• READ MORE: Other reports about Virimi Vakatawa
• Other French rugby reports

“It was very difficult to tell all those with whom I’d spent time both on and off the field.”

The 31 test international arrived in France in 2010 and represented both Racing 92 and the France 7s team as well as playing for France in the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo. He was expected to play a big role in the French team for the Paris World Cup next year.

Racing 92’s club doctor Dr Sylvain Blanchard said that a “cardiological anomaly” had been found in 2019 “just before the Rugby World Cup in Japan”.

It had been monitored closely by the Parisian club’s medical team but its “pathology had evolved” since.

Health in jeopardy
The cardiac problem jeopardised the health of Vakatawa and medical officials have banned him from playing in France.

Dr Blanchard said the condition was first diagnosed before Tokyo in 2019, but it was decided at the time that Vakatawa could continue playing under extra surveillance.

However, the medical experts now say his condition is too risky.

“It is a pathology that is likely to put him at risk in intense sports activities,” Dr Blanchard said. “And, obviously, professional rugby is part of those activities.”

The 30-year-old Vakatawa was born in Rangiora, New Zealand, raised in Fiji — the country of his heritage — and arrived in France at 17.

He was out injured while France won the Six Nations Grand Slam this year but was back as the starting centre in both test wins in Japan in July.

“It’s tough to leave this family, but I never had regrets,” Vakatawa said.

Rodney Duthie is Fiji Times sports editor. Republished with permission.

The Australian government is moving fast to reset relations with Australia’s Pacific partners, including a larger Pacific role for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Detailed research undertaken late last year for the ABC in our six key Pacific markets (Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Tonga) confirms that the ABC today is used, valued and highly trusted by Pacific audiences.

This result has been made possible through the ABC’s multi-channel approach, and by thoughtful programming made with Pacific partners and designed specifically for Pacific audiences.

• READ MORE: Other reports on Radio Australia in the Pacific

In terms of reach, access to AM/FM radio today is significantly higher than access to shortwave across the Pacific, and our research confirms that the most effective way today to engage audiences in urban and peri-urban regions is through FM radio transmission.

ABC Radio Australia currently has 13 transmitters across the Pacific. ABC Australia (TV) broadcasts to 16 Pacific island nations and territories under more than 25 distribution deals.

Meanwhile, a transition to digital and social media in the Pacific is also well underway. Smartphone use is high in urban areas, and increasingly, the ABC connects to its Pacific audiences via Facebook and through our digital offerings.

Our multi-channel approach is paying off. Total Pacific user interactions late last year with the ABC, whether via the ABC website, the ABC app or social media channels, were reportedly higher than usage and interactions with any other international provider, including the BBC, CNN, RNZ and CGTN.

Big jump in numbers
In the Papua New Guinea market, the research showed that more than half of all respondents had either watched ABC Australia (TV), listened to ABC Radio Australia or accessed the ABC online in the second half of 2021. That’s a big jump in audience numbers within just a few years.

The Australian government has plans to review the merits of restoring shortwave radio and the ABC will be contributing to that process. Part of that will include understanding how many people still have access to shortwave radios and the interest or need to use them as an information source.

In terms of content, the ABC’s unique advantage lies in its commitment to, and relationship with, Pacific audiences. We aim to be local. Our Asia–Pacific newsroom is the only one of its kind in Australia, with 50 journalists and producers telling the stories that matter to Indo-Pacific audiences, told in Bahasa Indonesia, Tok Pisin and Chinese as well as English.

Our flagship daily current affairs programme, Pacific Beat on ABC Radio Australia, features interviews with leaders and newsmakers, attracting audiences of all ages and genders. Then there’s Sistas, Let’s Talk (conversations with inspirational Pacific women), Wantok (Pacific-focused news and current affairs in Tok Pisin, Solomon Islands pidgin and Bislama), Island Music (reggae, dancehall and R’n’B with a focus on the Pacific region) and Pacific Playtime (for kids and families across the region).

A shared love of sport offers opportunities to strengthen social ties across the Pacific, and particularly to engage young people. ABC Radio Australia takes the men’s and women’s National Rugby League competitions to lovers of the sport across the region.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade supports the ABC to produce the only pan-Pacific sport-focused TV show, That Pacific Sports Show, and a fresh and humorous sport-oriented radio show and podcast, Can You Be More Pacific?, hosted by Australian and Pacific sportspeople.

This commitment to genuine partnership with the Pacific is paying off. The proportion of respondents in Pacific markets last year who valued the ABC across all its channels as a “trusted source of news and information” was comparable to that in Australia, at a very high 75 percent.

Pacific content locally available
It’s also worth noting that all the content we produce for Pacific audiences is available domestically in Australia, helping to maintain regional ties and build greater Australian awareness about our Pacific neighbours.

The ABC’s International Development Unit, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and donors like USAID and the United Nations, works with partners across the region to enhance journalism skills and media capacity.

The ABC also provides skills development training for specific challenges like election coverage and emergency broadcasting, plus support for media associations, like the Media Association of the Solomon Islands, which has been active in campaigning for press access and freedom in the Solomons.

The government has committed to increase funding to the ABC’s international programme by $8 million a year over the next four years. The focal points of this strategy are enhanced regional transmission, more content production, and increased media capacity training for Pacific partners.

This approach has been informed by the ABC’s own proposals.

Over recent years, various ideas have been floated for a new administrative process or organisation to “manage” Australia’s media presence in the Pacific. That would add unnecessary bureaucracy.

There’s a lot more the ABC could do in and for the Pacific. The ABC today has the strategy, systems and relationships in the Pacific to enable rapid expansion, given funding support.

And our research confirms there is a demand for it.

Claire M. Gorman is the head of international services at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Republished from The Strategist with the author’s permission.

Pacific athletes have won a total of 13 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, split among six nations.

Samoa won the region’s only gold, through weightlifter Don Opolenge and the nation’s lifters also won three silver medals.

They also gained a silver in boxing.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific Commonwealth Games reports

Fiji won four medals overall, two of them in the rugby sevens, but there will be some disappointment that neither team could win their respective finals.

Weightlifting brought the only medals for Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

Vanuatu gained a bronze from beach volleyball, and Niue gained its first-ever Games medal since being able to compete since 2002, with a boxing bronze.

Full list of Pacific medals:

Fiji (4)
Silver: Fiji men’s rugby sevens team

Silver: Fiji women’s rugby sevens team

Bronze: Taniela Rainibogi, weightlifting men’s 96 kg

Bronze: Naibili Vatunisolo, women’s discus throw F44/64

Nauru (1)
Bronze: Maximina Uepa, weightlifting women’s 76 kg

Niue (1)
Bronze: Duken Tutakitoa-Williams, boxing men’s heavyweight

PNG (1)
Silver: Morea Baru, weightlifting men’s 61 kg

Samoa (5)
Gold:Don Opeloge, weightlifting men’s 96 kg

Silver: Vaipava Ioane, weightlifting men’s 67 kg

Silver: Jack Opeloge, weightlifting men’s 109 kg

Silver: Feagaiga Stowers, weightlifting women’s +87 kg

Silver: Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali, boxing heavyweight

Vanuatu (1)
Bronze: Miller Pata/Sherysyn, Toko Beach volleyball women’s

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Former prime minister and New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan is defending his seat one last time in Papua New Guinea’s 2022 general elections next month because he believes the system of government has failed the country.

Had the system not “failed miserably”, the iconic New Irelander said he could have called time “a long time ago” — but a lot of things, systems, mechanisms and people had misfired and failed along the way, prompting his last shot at a last term.

At 83, Sir Julius said this would be the last roll of the dice in his long and illustrious political career in which he was twice prime minister of PNG.

• READ MORE: Other reports on the PNG elections

Showing no signs of fragilities, he was opening a new LLG office in the gold-rich Lihir Islands and campaigning on his resource policy in the neighbouring Anir (Feni) Islands, south of Lihir last week.

An advocate of power sharing, Sir Julius wants to see New Ireland emerge as an autonomous province of PNG before he retires.

Autonomy is the rallying call for his reluctance to step down. He reckons mainland PNG will remain immune to autonomous political squabbling but in the islands, it will be as easy as “cutting the rope and floating away”.

It is the Sunday after the PNG Kumuls’ epic rugby league Test win over Fiji.

Humorous insight
We are sitting in the antiquated living room of Sir Julius’ Port Moresby apartment.

He is a little wry, perhaps taxed by the boat travels in his sparsely isolated home islands, from the past week.

Not one to shy away from life’s challenges, he even offers a humorous insight into what his political adversaries have dished out in the last couple of months.

“You know, my opponents have declared me dead four times on Facebook, and every time, I’ve risen from the dead,” he chuckles.

In a one-on-one exclusive, the knight spoke his mind: “I am not coming back just to play the game, nogat, I am here to score more, otherwise I am just wasting my time. If I don’t get anywhere, I make up my decision in between.”

Sir Julius said the people must have greater power sharing nationally, on a provincial and local level.

“Sadly yes, the system of government has failed the people, we must have greater sharing of power, national, provincial and local, greater sharing if not practically practised I think this country will disintegrate,” he said.

‘It happened in Russia’
“I mean we got enough to look at some of the more advanced countries in the world, how it got disintegrated. It happened in Russia, it used to be a big, big, big country, they are now fighting one another.

“Because of the regional population I think if we don’t change the system and give the other areas of PNG a chance to lead, that too will cause friction as it is at the moment. You increase the electorate… every time you increase one electorate in the New Guinea Islands region.

“I think you have to increase 10 in other parts of the country so hap blo mi yia, forever and ever. It will go smaller in percentage terms and being human that doesn’t go down too well; everybody wants to participate therefore we have to come up with a system somewhat to adapt [to] that.

“And when people have that power, they make decisions and when something goes wrong, they cannot throw blame at the government.

“As it is at the moment, every good is enjoyed at the local government but everything bad is the cause of the national government. And if you allow that to go on for a few years, it will deteriorate this country completely.

“I [have] got to share this with everybody — the mainland will never break, it’s not easy and it’s just like Israel and all the other countries that [are] next to it. The other countries, you know whenever there is a land problem, they will forever for thousands of years from the days, they will never be able to solve the disputes of the land border.

“But in the islands, you just cut the rope and we float — we are different. So there it is, that’s my summary and I am not coming back just to play the game, nogat, I am here to score more, otherwise I am just wasting my time. If I don’t get anywhere, I make up my decision in between.”

Gorethy Kenneth is a senior PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

Some fans have sparked outrage after throwing what appeared to be glass bottles and chairs during the Mate Ma’a Tonga–Kiwi clash at Mt Smart Stadium last night, won by New Zealand 26-6.

An eyewitness alleged some Mate Ma’a Tonga fans hurled bottles at the Kiwi supporters.

Tongan broadcaster and journalist Kite Tu’akalau said he was right there when some fans hurled bottles “tolo hina” at others.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific rugby league reports

“Shame on you,” he wrote on Facebook, describing the encounter in Tongan as “embarrassing, ill-disciplined and nonsense”.

A video posted on social media, seen by Kaniva News, showed three men with Tongan flags climbing from the stands towards a corporate box.

Some men attempted to force their way inside the box before another threw a chair at one of the glass windows, causing it to crack.

A person was hospitalised while a police investigation was underway, police reportedly said.

Commenters on Tu’akalau’s posts criticised the incident as “unsportsmanlike conduct” and “low life”.

One said “that’s disgusting” while another said, “Ban him from all League game(s) … What a retard”.

Some said these unacceptable and unprofessional actions brought a bad image to hundreds of thousands of supporters of the Mate Ma’a Tonga team.

Kiwis beat Tonga
However, it failed to mar the colourful international double header match-up in which the Kiwis defeated Mate Ma’a Tonga 26-6 in front of a sellout 26,000 crowd, a sea of red shirts and flags.

Kiwis 26: Hughes, Rapana, Mulitalo, Papali’i tries; Rapana conversion, 4 x penalty.

Tonga 6: Katoa try; Staggs conversion.

Earlier, a world record was broken as the Kiwi Ferns beat the Tongan women 50-12.

The crowd of 18,364 was the biggest ever for a women’s rugby league match.

Later, at Campbelltown Stadium in New South Wales, the Papau New Guinea Kumuls stunned a star-studded Fiji side to win 24-14.

PNG were $4 outsiders at kick-off and Fiji struck first through Kevin Naiqama but Storm star Justin Olam and Roosters young gun Lachlan Lam took control from there.

Both teams were stacked with NRL stars and the opening 40 minutes proved a free-flowing contest.

In the earlier game in a double header, Samoa thrashed Cook Islands 42-12.

Republished with permission.

The tiny Pacific territory of Wallis and Futuna can, per capita, surely lay claim to be test rugby’s hottest talent nursery.

Three players who trace their heritage to Wallis and Futuna — a French “overseas collectivity” located north-west of Fiji and west of Samoa — are in France’s Six Nations squad.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka — a two-try hero in France’s 40-25 win over the All Blacks last November and lock Romain Taofifénua have been joined in Fabien Galthie’s squad by young centre Yoram Moefana, Taofifénua’s second cousin.

• READ MORE: France one win from the Six Nations title and grand slam

Both Mauvaka and Moefana played in France’s hard-won 13-9 victory over Wales in Cardiff last night – a victory that keeps alive their hopes of a first grand slam and Six Nations title in a decade.

Lock Taofifénua would probably also have played if he had not contracted covid-19.

When Mauvaka and Taofifénua came off the bench to join Moefana in the recent win over Ireland, Wallis and Futuna effectively supplied 20 per cent of the France XV. This was repeated in the victory over Scotland.

Wallisians and Futunans have the right to live anywhere in France, so automatically qualify for French national sporting teams.

Born in New Caledonia
The list of French rugby internationals includes some players born in France to parents from Wallis and Futuna, or born and raised in New Caledonia where around 30,000 Wallisians and Futunans live.

Outside back Yann David, who still plays for Top 14 club Bayonne, had four tests in 2008. He was born in Lyon in mainland France, but his mother, Monika Fiafialoto, a former French javelin champion, is Wallisian.

Towering Noumea-born lock Sébastien Vahaamahina had 46 test caps between 2012 and 2019. Vahaamahina, who scored his first try in the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, retired from test rugby after getting sent off for elbowing a Welsh rival in the head in that 2019 defeat.

Still only 30, he continues to play in the Top 14 for Clermont.

Vahaamahina was often joined in France’s second row engine room by Romain Taofifénua, whose father, Willy was one of the first players from Wallis and Futuna to make a mark on the French club scene.

Romain — born in Mont-de-Marsan in France and raised in Limoges — made his test debut in 2012. The 31-year-old has since garnered 32 caps.

Brother Sébastien, 30, propped France’s scrum in two tests in 2017. The Taofifénua twosome, and their cousin Vahaamahina played together in a 23-23 draw with Japan that year.

Rugby World Cup squad
Vahaamahina and Mauvaka were joined in France’s 2019 Rugby World Cup squad by another player with Wallis and Futuna heritage, Toulon hooker Christopher Tolofua, another cousin of the Taofifénuas, who has seven caps since his debut at 18 in 2012.

Tolofua’s younger brother, Selevasio, a No 8, has won European Champions Cup and French Top 14 honours with Toulouse, alongside Mauvaka and ex-All Blacks great Jerome Kaino. He won his first and so far only test cap at No 8 in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup final defeat to England at Twickenham, playing with Mauvaka and Yoram Moefana.

So fielding players with Wallis and Futuna lineage is nothing new for Les Bleus, but Moefana’s emergence has served to heighten the link.

The 21-year-old — who has played little more than 30 Top 14 games for Bordeaux-Bègles – has beaten the more experienced Fiji-born Virimi Vakatawa for the berth in midfield alongside the talented Gaël Fickou. In the last two games, against Scotland and Wales, he ha played on the wing.

Moefana was reportedly born on Futuna but moved to France at 13 to live in Limoges with a professional rugby career as his goal. He lived in France’s porcelain industry capital with his uncle, Tapu Falatea, 33, now a prop for Agen in France’s second tier.

Young Moefana was soon recruited by the Colomiers academy and made his Pro D2 debut with the club in 2018.

After just six games, he was signed in 2019 by Bordeaux-Bègles, where he plays alongside test teammates Cameron Woki, Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu and Tonga’s former Chiefs prop Ben Tamiefuna.

Represented France Under-20s
Moefana represented France at under-20 level before becoming the nation’s first test player born in the 21st century when he made his debut, aged 20, against Italy in November 2020.

Judging by his assured display against Ireland’s highly-rated midfielders Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose, Moefana could be in for a long stay in the blue jersey.

Galthie told French media before the start of the Six Nations that Moefana had been on his radar since February 2020 while “he was with the U20s, and he worked with us at senior training camps.

“We’ve seen him progress with Bordeaux and when we had to enlarge the group for the [2020] Autumn Nations Cup, we didn’t hesitate to start him because he was already impressive in training. His potential was obvious then, and he performed well in the final against England.”

Moefana was supposed to tour Australia in 2021, but got injured and spent a long spell on the sidelines.

Galthie had no hesitation hurling the youngster into the Six Nations, saying: “Technically, physically and psychologically, without forgetting his talent, he is ready to meet all the requirements of this game.”

Bordeaux-Bègles coach Christophe Urios has praised Moefana as “an easy player to manage” and “always reliable”, saying the young Christian is “as reserved, even shy, in life as he is aggressive on the field”.

‘Not an ambassador yet’
A modest Moefana told French media that while it was “always nice to find guys who come from New Caledonia, Wallis or Futuna in the French team” he did not see himself as “an ambassador yet”.

“I think more of Romain [Taofifénua] because he’s been there for a long time. For young people, I think of Peato [Mauvaka] with his club and selection experience. I find out.”

Moefana’s father, Taofifenua Falatea, had earlier ventured to France to play for Niort, but injury stalled his career. Today, he is president of the Union Rugby Club de Dumbéa (URCD) club in Dumbéa, near Noumea, which is formally linked to the Toulouse club.

Mauvaka, is the URCD club’s most famous product, playing in Toulouse’s winning titles-winning team last season before his brace against the All Blacks.

“I’m not going to hide it from you, we tend to support the All Blacks and his dad has always been a fan of the All Blacks,” Falatea told France’s La Croix newspaper last December. “Playing the All Blacks is already something for him, but scoring tries for [France] and being man of the match is great. Frankly, I think he made history.”

Mauvaka — first spotted by Toulouse as a 14-year-old centre — made his test debut in 2019 and now has 12 caps. He has carved a niche as an impact player off the bench, replacing clubmate Julien Marchand at hooker.

Moefana, Mauvaka and Taofifénua — all in line now to play for France against England in the championship decider Paris next weekend — may not be the last proud Wallisians and Futunans to line up at Stade de France to the strains of La Marseillaise.

Donovan Taofifénua, Romain’s 22-year-old cousin and an Under-20 World Cup winner with France, plays in Paris for Racing 92 and has already been called up to France senior squads.

According to the La Croix article, people of Wallis and Futuna heritage comprise 10 percent of New Caledonia’s population, but represent 80 percent of the Union Rugby Club de Dumbéa membership.

The production line should roll on.

Wallis and Futuna at a glance

• Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity known, officially, as the Territory of the Islands of Wallis and Futuna, or Territoire des îles Wallis-et-Futuna.
• Located in the Pacific Ocean, 280km north-west of Fiji and 370km east of Samoa.
• Has three main islands (Wallis, Futuna and Alofi) and 20 small islets.
• The resident population is around 12,000, with another 30,000 people of Wallis and Futuna descent living in New Caledonia.
• Its people are Polynesian, but, as French citizens, have an automatic right to live anywhere in France.

Tony Smith is a journalist for Stuff. Sources for this article include La Croix, Rugby World, Sud-Ouest newspaper, Wikipedia and New Zealand and Australian government websites. Republished with permission.

The Fijian Drua have made history, defeating the Melbourne Rebels 31-26 in Queensland for their first-ever Super Rugby win last night, and Moana Pasifika lost their debut match 33-12 against the Crusaders in Dunedin but still impressed.

The tournament newcomers Drua went into Friday night’s match as underdogs following heavy defeats to the Waratahs and Brumbies in the opening two rounds.

Following the game, the Drua head coach Mick Byrne said he was pleased the team stuck with their plan.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific rugby reports

“I said it last week, and we have been training well, we have been training our game well, and I think just getting use to the fact that the physical nature of Super Rugby and as I’ve said, I’m pretty much repeating myself again, I’m proud about the boys went about their task,” Byrne said

“We’ve got two players who have Super Rugby experience, so we just have to keep building each week and getting use to turning up the next Monday and going again for the next week.”

Byrne said the team have been working extremely hard since the first day of training, and tonight, they got their just desserts.

Fijian Drua fought back from 14-nil down to take a lead they never relinquished, and notch a historic, first-ever Super Rugby victory.

Meli Derenalagi was captain on the night. He said the message to the boys before the game was just to go outside and enjoy it.

“Even though we went down for first the two games but we need to stand out and try to be competitive for this Super Rugby.”

Onisi Ratave, Vilive Miramira and Apisalome Vota all dotted down for Mick Byrne’s heroic team.

The Drua will next meet the Reds.

Moana Pasifika ‘would have made their families proud’
Moana Pasifika lost their debut Super Rugby match but they showed a lot of positive signs in Friday night’s 33-12 defeat to the Crusaders in Dunedin.

Moana Pasifika had their first two matches postponed after a covid outbreak within the squad.

The Moana Pasifika captain Sekope Kepu said his side played with passion and would have made their families proud in their Super Rugby debut.

“I was very proud of the lads, the way they fronted up,” hde said.

“The Crusaders are a team that can punish you but I thought we kept coming back and keep showing up for each other and spoke about it all week, being courageous as a group, and doing it for our families and our people and I thought we showed that.”

Moana Pasifika coach Aaron Mauger said he felt the Moana Pasifika forwards did outstanding work.

“Credit is has got to go to Filo and Puleasi for the work they have done with the guys and for the guys out there who are just fronting up and executing their roles, it was really impressive.

“When we got the ball, making sure we were really clinical with it. I think they had 28 percent for most of that first half, so it was actually hard to build pressure with our attack, we had some plans to do that but like you say…we spent most of the time defending.

“It’s certainly an area we want to focus on, it’s clearly the Crusader’s plan to try and gas us. They knew we had been locked up for 12 days, we’ve only had three intensity trainings since we come out and just try and manage our work loads and on the back of that.

“It was a pretty outstanding performance, and Sekope used that word courageous before, I thought it was really courageous.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

He has worked as an academic in five different countries and now Dr Steven Ratuva has been made a distinguished professor – the first Pacific person to ever hold this highest professorial title.

The Fiji-born University of Canterbury political sociologist and director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies has been recognised for his pioneering research in a range of fields, including ethnicity, security and politics.

Dr Ratuva has been promoted to the highest role in academia and wants to inspire other Pacific students and scholars to break down the “political and cultural” hurdles that often stand in their way.

• READ MORE: Steven Ratuva becomes world’s first Pacific distinguished professor

“I want to show them that nothing is impossible, you can reach the top,” he said.

“There is always the perception that Pacific people are not as smart, just good in rugby and not so much academia.

“It’s a myth that we need to break through.”

Dr Ratuva said he was honoured to receive the appointment.

First time for a Pacific scholar
“It’s the first time a Pacific scholar has received the title, anywhere in the world,” he said.

“There’s a lot of research around the world about how minorities internalise the perception about them. It’s about breaking through those psychological and cultural perceptions.”

Dr Ratuva joined the University of Canterbury in 2015 but has also worked at universities in Fiji, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

“I grew up in an environment where education was very much encouraged and promoted. In my family alone, there are about 15 degrees altogether.”

Dr Ratuva worked for the Suva-based University of the South Pacific (USP) before joining highly respected think tank the Institute of Development Studies, based at the University of Sussex, in southern England.

“It’s the leading development institute in the world. It’s ranked above Oxford and Harvard, they compete for second position,” he said.

The father of two is a prolific author and in the last two years alone he has written and edited five books, including a three-volume global project on ethnicity, the largest and most comprehensive on the subject.

Connecting the boxes
“A lot of those issues are interconnected; politics, economics, culture,” he said.

“Often in academia we break them up into little boxes. In my work, I try to connect those boxes.”

Last year, Dr Ratuva was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and has won the society’s Mertge Medal for New Zealand social science research excellence.

He is currently co-leading a University of Canterbury and USP joint project on climate crisis, covering 16 Pacific countries.

Dr Ratuva is one of four Canterbury academics recently awarded the role of distinguished professors. The others are Maggie Lee Huckabee, Charles Semple and Michael Hall.

This article was first published by Stuff and is republished with permission.

The world’s highest paid rugby player, Charles Piutau, is delighted he will be eligible to play for Tonga now that World Rugby has changed its eligibility rules last month.

In one of his rare New Zealand interviews, he told Pacific Media Network’s Tongan programme with Tangata Pasifika’s John Pulu he was surprised and relieved that world rugby had changed its eligibility rules.

The 30-year-old, who played 17 tests for the All Blacks and whose last test was in 2015, is currently playing for the Bristol Bears for a whopping 1 million pounds sterling (NZ$1.92 million) a year — along with South Africa’s Handre Pollard who earns the same amount for Montpellier.

• READ MORE: Other rugby reports

From next year players can change allegiances if they were born in the country they want to represent or have a parent or grandparent born there; they can switch only once and there is a stand-down period of three years from international rugby.

Charles (Salesi) Piutau always had the intention to play for Tonga but “in the past its been quite tough and there was a loophole (Olympic rugby sevens), but unfortunately I couldn’t go to those tournaments.”

However, recently former All Black Malakai Fekitoa exploited that loophole to play for Tonga in their Olympic qualifier.

“It then led to World Rugby to vote on this eligibility rule and all honesty I didn’t think it was going to pass because in the past when the vote came about it didn’t reach the 75 pecent [votes needed to pass the resolution] pass mark for it to be approved,” said the fullback.

Trainers were smiling
“In the past we’ve had the Pacific Welfare group led by Daniel Leo, who has voiced his opinions on this, but on the day at my club a few of the trainers and physios were there and they were smiling and I wasn’t sure what they were smiling about but they eventually told me that the law had been passed.

“At first I was really surprised but it sank in and I was very happy that it has happened for the Pacific Island teams,” Auckland-born Piutau said.

“Both my parents were born in Tonga and moved over to New Zealand for better opportunities for us kids and at home they spoke Tongan and see my brother (Siale) represent Tonga as well it has always been close to my heart and having this opportunity is the best of both worlds,” Piutau said.

“To put on the red jersey means a lot and speaking to my parents they are excited and very proud of this opportunity.”

Just like in the 2017 rugby league World Cup where Andrew Fifita (Australia) and Jason Taumalolo (New Zealand) switched allegiances to Tonga where they beat New Zealand, Samoa, and Scotland in front of a sea of red clad fans in Auckland the Tongan red and white-cross of St. George flag flew proudly.

Those scenes were re-enacted two years late when Tonga beat Australia 16-12 and now with the change to those rules in rugby union European-based former house-hold names like Piutau, Fekitoa, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea, George Moala and Steven Luatua can be expected to play for Tonga at the next rugby World Cup in France in 2023.

Should Tonga qualify for the next World Cup they will go into a pool with South Africa, Ireland and Scotland.

Welcomed the change
Fijian Isa Nacewa, who played two minutes for Fiji in the 2003 World Cup and then tried to make himself available for the New Zealand sevens team has welcomed the change.

“It is ground-breaking isn’t it, I said it was the elephant in the room, but I’m overly stoked to be proven wrong that you know things have changed with time and the powers that be have actually in this case and listened and taken on all the words and all the feelings of everything around the world and around this issue,” said Nacewa.

“So, it’s absolutely phenomenal and it is literally a game changer. One for the little nations but just in rugby in general.”

Pacific rugby players welfare head Daniel Leo declared himself pleased with the result, but it was surprising, and he didn’t expect it to go the way it did.

“There was a 75 percent threshold to get this across the line, which always made it extremely difficult from the get-go. But, lobbying over a number of years, like ourselves and a lot of unions, Bill Beaumont (boss of World Rugby) and World Rugby… and credit to them because it was a really positive outcome.

“Every time it has been tabled in the past it was negative outcome, so I am amazed, you never get your hopes up but it is through and that’s the main thing,” Daniel Leo told the Devlin Radio Show (DRS).

Leo said the welfare was set-up seven years ago for exactly the same reason.

A lot of injustice
“This is one of the key aspects around when we set up the organisation, myself and a lot of Pacific Island players around the world came together and we said we feel like there’s a lot of injustice in the game.

“So, we needed an organisation that had a voice a credible voice that could put pressure on these sorts of decisions, and it’s been long journey since then,” he said.

Leo said it would make an immediate impact on the game and for Pacific Island nations.

“In the short term it’ll be massive, for me the goal has always been to make the Pacific Islands sustainable financially. Having superstars come back will have an impact on the results.

“Sponsorship, hopefully getting more tier one nation matches and more revenue that we can put into the grassroots so in a 10–15-year period we don’t need this regulation anymore because we’ll have all the resources that we need.

“It’s a short-term fix for our for a long term problem. But there’s still other issues that we need to address,” said Leo.

He was referring to the revenue share model where currently the hosts get to keep all the gate taking receipts.

No revenue share model
“There is still no revenue share model in place, so for example when Tonga plays England in front of a sell-out crowd Twickenham (capacity 82,000), there is no revenue share,

“Tonga get nothing for that and that needs to change.

“We need to be able to capitalise on this. There’s no reason why a team like Tonga that could have Malakai Fekitoa, Charles Piutau and Ngani Laumape should be playing for free in front of their audiences in England.

“So, there are still challenges. But this is a great step, and we’ll celebrate the victory but it’s a battle in a bigger war,” said Leo.

The Pacific rugby player welfare had to weigh-up long and hard before it went into battle for this rule change.

“It’s not about players coming back at the end of their careers and that is the negative spin on it. That you possibly be taking away from younger players who could make the team, but this is about the union’s injecting the resources that we’ve lacked years and years to be able to invest at the grassroots to make sure that we’re not relying on guys coming back to the end of their careers forever,” he said.

New Zealand was one of countries that backed the eligibility rule changes.

Things were looking very bad three months ago for both Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The two Pacific countries were each looking very vulnerable to the covid delta variant, albeit in different ways.

On July 10, PNG recorded its first official delta case, and the nation’s health professionals were soon warning the combination of very low testing rates, high percentage of positive tests and an extremely slow vaccine rollout provided a “recipe for a major spread”.

Fiji was already in the thick of it at the time. After the deadly delta strain entered the country via a quarantine breach in April, per capita infection rates became the highest in the world in the middle of the year.

• READ MORE: The Pacific went a year without covid. Now, it’s all under threat
• Australia wants to send 1 million vaccine doses to PNG – but without reliable electricity, how will they be kept cold?
• Pacific nations grapple with covid’s terrible toll and the desperate need for vaccines

Daily infections reached more than 1800 in mid-July – a huge number for a country of only 900,000 people. The crisis caused 647 deaths.

Fast forward several months and PNG and Fiji are heading in opposite directions. More than 95 percent of eligible Fijians over the age of 18 have now received their first jab, and 80 percent are now fully vaccinated.

80% of adults in Fiji are fully vaccinated – 3 weeks ahead of schedule!

At 4 PM tomorrow, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama will announce the easing of COVID restrictions at home and our plan to re-open Fiji to the world.#TeamFiji #FijianGovernment #Fiji #FijiNews pic.twitter.com/NLjziZn7Yd

— Fijian Government (@FijianGovt) October 9, 2021

By contrast, PNG is in the grips of a major wave, with less than 1 percent of the total population fully vaccinated. PNG is trailing much of the world.

Why have two Pacific countries, which share Melanesian cultural connections, handled their vaccine rollouts so differently?

Not a matter of geography or vaccine supply
Fiji’s daily infection rate today is 4 percent of what it was at the peak, and it’s falling. Less than 50 new cases are currently being reported on average each day.

In PNG, the official infection rate is now averaging just under 300 new cases a day, but this drastically understates the reality of what is happening in the country.

Extremely low testing rates simply cannot be relied upon. The country’s own health data reportedly shows 2.6 million cases of flu and pneumonia-like symptoms over the last year, and Port Moresby General Hospital is now reporting positive covid testing rates of 60 percent. Like other hospitals across the country, it risks being overwhelmed by the virus.

It’s not simply a vaccine supply issue. At this stage of the global crisis, PNG, like Fiji, has received substantial vaccine deliveries — principally from Australia, New Zealand and the COVAX vaccine delivery initiative.

In fact, thousands of PNG’s early deliveries went to waste because the health authorities were unable to use them. The PNG government has recently made the best of a bad situation by re-gifting 30,000 vials donated by New Zealand to Vietnam.

Our #PacificHub leader @CainTess comments on the challenges #PNG faces in its #Covid-19 vaccine rollout after having to transfer donated vaccines to Vietnam

https://t.co/ijAKoAV0eT

— Griffith Asia Inst (@GAIGriffith) September 30, 2021

We can also set aside any suggestion Australia, as the major regional donor, is somehow favouring one country over the other.

The Australian government has put a high priority on providing vaccines to both countries in recent months. Its assistance has also extended to education and logistical efforts, along with targeted medical emergency teams and support for those with expertise and capacity on the ground.

Nor is it really a matter of distribution.

PNG’s geography does present some challenging physical barriers to distributing vaccines – its legendary mountainous terrain and the remoteness of many of its inhabitants are well known.

But companies from Digicel to South Pacific Brewery manage to penetrate the most inaccessible areas with their products despite these difficulties. And the authorities manage to deliver the vote across the nation every five years in what is one of the world’s most extraordinary democratic exercises.

With its own rugged terrain and dispersed populations across multiple islands, Fiji has also faced major physical impediments to its vaccine rollout.

The major difference: leadership and belief
We get closer to the problem when we think in terms of trust, understanding and belief.

Fijians have embraced the vaccination rollout almost as one, following the guidance of their medical authorities and falling in line with the firm “no jabs, no job” policy of its prime minister, former military commander and coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama.

PNG crippled by Delta and misinformation https://t.co/HwGk9H7op8

— Prof Brendan Crabb (@CrabbBrendan) October 6, 2021

In PNG, the term “vaccine hesitancy” understates the problem. One survey earlier this year showed worrying low willingness to take the vaccine, and another survey of university students showed a mere 6 percent wanted it.

Vaccine patrols have received death threats in some areas, and any politician who speaks out in favour of vaccination risks a political backlash. Strong efforts are now being made to overcome this problem, with the health authorities preparing a fresh approach and iconic figures such as rugby star Mal Meninga supporting the publicity effort.

These dramatically contrasting pictures cannot be explained fully through differences in education standards, or the quality of medical advice and attention.

To be sure, Fiji leads PNG in these respects — Fiji has 99 percent literacy compared to just over 63 percent in PNG, according to the latest available figures. And while Fiji’s medical system has its challenges, the decline in PNG’s health services due to chronic lack of investment puts it in a very different category.

In PNG, trust in leadership has flagged following decades of frustration with growing wealth inequality and concerns over governance and transparency.

Rather than trust official sources, people often look to Facebook and other social media for their information, and are thus vulnerable to the dangerous nonsense peddled by the anti-vaccination movement in the West.

I know how quickly Papua New Guineans tap into what’s happening in neighbouring Australia, too. They will have seen how the public debate in Australia has dented confidence in the AstraZeneca brand — the mainstay of their own vaccine supply.

But perhaps most troubling of all is the sense that many Papua New Guineans have developed a fatalistic belief that covid is just another health challenge to add to the litany of other serious problems facing the country, among them maternal mortality, malaria and tuberculosis.

It’s almost as if they believe this is all somehow PNG’s lot. But it doesn’t need to be.

Ian Kemish is a former ambassador and adjunct professor at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

While the All Blacks and Springboks will play their 100th test tomorrow both Pacific rugby teams are preparing for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific and a journey into the unknown.

The Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika will debut in the 12 team-competition which includes five teams each from Australia and New Zealand.

While the Fiji Drua were awarded their unconditional licence back in April and are yet to complete their roster, Moana Pasifika revealed this week they have just eight places remaining to be filled in their 38-man squad since being granted their licence in July.

• READ MORE: Fijian Drua names 5 players to debut in Super Rugby Pacific season

Interim chief executive officer of Moana Pasifika, Pelenato Sakalia told RNZ Pacific Sport, “we’ll take our time on filling those eight additional spots, but I’d like to think we’ve broken the back of the squad, [because] 30 out of 38 is quite a significant chunk.”

They are likely to name Aaron Mauger, former head coach of the Otago Highlanders, as coach.

Mauger deputised for Tana Umaga when Moana Pasifika came together last year in a one-off game against the New Zealand Māori which they lost 28-21.

Like Fiji Drua they are yet to confirm their coaches although Fiji Drua was to have named their coach this week.

Australian Mick Byrne appointed coach
Late this afternoon Fiji Drua announced experienced Australian Mick Byrne as head coach. Byrne was previously assistant and skills coach for the Wallabies, All Blacks, Japan and Scotland.

He was also assistant coach of the Auckland Blues from 2012 to 2014.

However, Fiji Drua will have to rely on mainly Fiji or regional based players to fill their roster and they are to have a home base in Australia for the first season.

Fiji Drua’s interim chief executive officer Brian Thorburn said the delay in confirming the competition structure had resulted in not being able to sign up players based in Europe.

He told RNZ Pacific Sport: “As a result, many of the guys that were on our original list who were playing in Europe had to choose between a firm commitment and opportunity in Europe versus an unconfirmed commitment coming out of us, and we just couldn’t sign anybody.

“But having said that, every cloud has a silver lining. We’ve got a great pipeline of talent, that’s one of the wonderful things, and we are very happy with the guys that we’re signing be they local provincial rugby or from the sevens sphere.

“Our aspiration is for every player that plays for Drua to be eligible for national duty, but in some cases, we’ll have to compromise that for the first year or two.”

Australian-based Thorburn said there would be times when would have to play a “joker”.

‘Joker’ possibilities
“We’ll have to contract the odd what we call a joker, where somebody who is not otherwise eligible to play for Fiji, might have to fill an area of weakness for us.”

Both he and Fiji Rugby CEO John O’Connor admitted the new rugby franchise would have to contract players not eligible for the Flying Fijians.

“We are starting on a journey and our players here are amateurs. We are transiting them into the professional environment. It’s our first year and we will continue to grow and learn as we participate in the competition.

“That is why we are not competing with those players who are on six-figure contracts in Europe,” O’Connor told The Fiji Times.

Fiji Drua announced their first five players this week with exciting utility back Napoloni Bolaca, an Olympic gold medalist, among their first signings.

Others were Flying Fijians’ hooker Tevita Ikanivere, winger Onisi Ratave who played for the Bay of Plenty in their unsuccessful bid for the Ranfurly Shield against Hawke’s Bay, loose forward Nemani Nagusa and halfback Simione Kuruvoli.

While it appears that the South Auckland-based franchise Moana Pasifika aren’t having recruitment issues, they have nonetheless faced some hurdles of their own.

NZ link criticised
The involvement of the New Zealand Rugby Player Association (NZRPA) chief executive Rob Nichol, who has said three current, potential or former All Blacks can be selected for Moana Pasifika, has drawn the ire of Pacific Rugby Players’ Welfare boss Daniel Leo.

He commented on Twitter that the NZRPA was there to look after the welfare of New Zealand players and shouldn’t be involved in the Moana Pasifika process.

“Their mandate is to advance the NZ players at any cost. Not Pacific Island players,’’ Leo posted on Twitter.

“The fact they are key stakeholders in Moana and one of their employees is the general manager has alarm bells ringing.’’ He was referring to Kevin Senio, former All Blacks halfback, who is the director of Rugby Moana Pasifika.

Senio responded to Dan Leo’s claims when he appeared on Sky Sport’s Breakdown show.

“Eighty percent of the team will have to be eligible and/or have played for Samoa, Tonga or Fiji,” Senio told The Breakdown.

“For those who are going to align themselves into Moana Pasifika, you can’t play for the All Blacks or Australia.”

Feeder franchise
Back in April when former Wallaby turned rugby commentator Morgan Turinui wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that Moana Pasifika would become a feeder franchise for the All Blacks.

“To put it simply, Moana Pasifika look to be another NZ franchise who will funnel players through to the All Blacks,” Turinui wrote.

World Rugby has confirmed a £1.2m (NZ$2.3 million) annual funding package for an initial three-year period to support the two franchises, Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika, in joining Super Rugby from 2022.

Fiji Olympic rugby sevens captain Seremaia “Jerry” Tuwai’s parents couldn’t hold back their tears and kept thanking God for the blessings they have received.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday announced on his Twitter page that the government was planning a $1 million (NZ$690,000) reward package for the national team.

A special package only for captain and two-time Olympian Jerry Tuwai includes a house.

• READ MORE: Other Tokyo Olympic reports

His parents were emotional and hugged each other when they were asked how did they feel about these plans from the prime minister.

“Our prayers have been answered,” Vunisa said

“We always pray for our family and for Jerry’s life. The hard work, the pain the struggle has finally been answered.

“I told my wife before the team played in Tokyo that whoever walks in Gods sight will be blessed and God has indeed blessed my family.”

Duty to his country
Vunisa said that he had encouraged Tuwai to take up an overseas contract and he always replied that he had a duty to his country.

His mum, Serewaia Vualiku, said for the family to be away from each for five months was really hard.

“It wasn’t like this before, even in 2016,and we both knew that within that period he wanted to see his children. He is close to his family, especially his kids.

Rugby doesn’t just let us forget our troubles –– it inspires us to overcome them.

The victories of our men’s 7s and Fijiana have inspired us all. To give back, we’re announcing a million-dollar reward package for these heroes.

Yes, that includes a house for Capt. Jerry. pic.twitter.com/Itjj1ZILkl

— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) August 6, 2021

“But we kept encouraging him never to give up, the road hasn’t ended yet. It’s his dream and he should focus on his dream.

“For us as parents we know he is chosen for this. This is his destiny and God gave him this and we are grateful for his everlasting love on my family.

“For his children they are all counting the days when they will finally get to see their father.

“As we welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement, we also give thanks to the Almighty that without him we will never achieve this.”

Grateful for support
The family is indeed grateful to the support from their families, friends, their neighbours and everyone who has been supporting the national team and Tuwai.

As they wait for his arrival from quarantine, the family plan to hold a small family celebration.

“With the what we are going through now unfortunately we cannot hold a big celebration compared with what was done in 2016 but we will celebrate his achievement as a family.”

The pledged package covers both the men’s sevens, which won gold at Tokyo, and the women’s team Fijiana, which won bronze.

Paulini Curuqara is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

It might have been just a bronze medal to some people but for the Fijiana team — especially Sesenieli Donu — it was the fruit of sacrifice and a token of appreciation for her village of Vatukarasa in Nadroga.

After an intense competition for the bronze medal with Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan, the country’s women sevens rugby team bagged their first ever medal after defeating their former coloniser 21-12 last Saturday.

The excitement spread like wildfire in Vatukarasa as one of their very own has her name down in the history book especially at a hard-hit time when Fiji is battling the deadly delta variant of covid-19.

• READ MORE: Other Tokyo Olympic reports

“This is gold to us to see that one of our own women got to the top and played against teams from bigger countries,’’ Donu’s uncle Jone Domonakibau said.

“After losing both her parents at a very young age, Sesenieli became determined to be one of the best players in rugby and she has proved herself.

“She would lose herself to training and even if it meant for her to be surrounded by men as this was a male-dominated sport. She never gave up.”

Donu was picked for the sevens squad after she proved herself worthy to be with the team at the 2020 Women’s Skipper Cup games in Lautoka.

Deserving trip
The 25-year-old’s Olympic journey out of Fiji is her first time in a foreign land and Domonakibau said it was a deserving trip after what she had been through.

“We are so blessed to have witnessed her rugby life at the Olympics and we look forward to more magical works of God in her life as we know she is a capable child.”

He knew that Donu would do wonders when they would see her returning from her training at the beach near their village early in the morning.

“She would wake up around 4 to 5am in the morning when the village is silent and run to the beach and train.

“It was not a surprise to many of us waking up to her return after an intense exercise.
He added that the village was organising a celebration for the 25-year-old when she returns.

“We are aware of the restrictions in place and so we would do something really small yet meaningful to show how proud we are of her.

Captain thanks Fijians
Like Donu, the rest of the history-making team could not contain their happiness as a video by the Fiji Rugby Union featuring the Fijian captain Rusila Nagasau saying “thank you” to people in the country.

“I want to thank the girls for standing up and winning the bronze today,” she said.

“To our family and friends back at home, I would like to say a big vinaka vakalevu (thank you)… thank you very much for your prayers and support.

“To the government, thank you so much for helping us throughout the five months of quarantine back in Fiji.”

PM congratulates Fijiana
In his official Facebook page, the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama congratulated the team of women for the legacy created in Tokyo.

“Ahead of the Rio Olympics, there were 200 registered women rugby players in Fiji. Now, there are more than 1000.

“With the eyes of the young women of Fiji upon these heroes — no doubt we’ll soon see many thousands more.

The prime minister said the best was yet to come from the team.

The women’s sevens team will return to Fiji next Tuesday and spend 14 days in quarantine before rejoicing the win with their loved ones afterward.

Josefa Babitu is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He is also the current student editor for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publication. He is a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

Fiji Olympic men’s rugby sevens coach Gareth Baber says the team had to dig deep but was able to control both the semifinal against Argentina and the final against New Zealand last week, reports Fiji Blog Post.

“We knew that Argentina was a tough side and we were aware out of all the teams around the world, they had played the most international rugby over the year,” Baber said.

Baber was speaking from Tokyo via Zoom to the media in Fiji organised by the Fiji Rugby Union after winning the gold medal by beating New Zealand 27-12 at the Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday night.

• READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics rugby sevens: Fiji too strong for NZ and claim gold again
• Black Ferns golden win against France banishes Olympic sevens heartbreak
• Other Tokyo Olympic Games stories

Baber said he was aware the Argentinians had several tournaments in Spain, in Dubai, in the United States and so they had international competitions and were one of the best prepared teams coming to the Olympics.

“They were a good side and probably as close to a Fijian side you could probably get,” he said.

“At international level they play a good high tempo type, they don’t have particular set structures in the way they attack and their defence is about work ethic and scramble and I knew we had to be tough.

“We had to be physical, we had to be as physical as we were when we had to play GB [the day before].

‘Maintained discipline’
“I thought we did that well, we maintained that discipline.”

Baber complimented his assistant coach Brad Harris who helped prepare the side mentally in what they were going to face against the South Americans.

“I was aware that probably they would get a try or two, we managed our side mentally through that and I was particularly pleased with Brad Harris.

“I knew there were some changes we had to make.

“I knew he was on the island. He was a special coach and we sat down and planned what we wanted to achieve and I would say what you saw yesterday was down to Brad and his input into the team.

“And that effort really we put in against Argentina.”

Fiji defeated Argentina 26-14.

Possession the key
Baber said that in the final the key was possession and he knew that if the Kiwis were allowed too much time in holding on to the ball, the Fijians would come under a lot of pressure.

“We knew if we allowed time for NZ to control the ball and play away from us that we would allow time to put pressure into the game,” he said.

“We had to present pressure by varying our restarts and not just giving them what they wanted.

“Going in occasionally where we could compete and also pushing the ball behind them back in what we call our line chase in defence and I think that sort of unsettled New Zealand and allowed to get more into a broken field game and we capitalised with that in the game a little bit early.

“New Zealand came back but at halftime I set them a target to score three tries which they were quite capable of doing and worrying about the last one where [Waisea] Nacuqu hit the post went in, we were not far away from doing that.

“But it’s testament to the group of players from the new boys that have come in over the last six to seven months, with the players that have come in from Europe and the foundation we had laid with the players who had been with us for a number of years and months.

“And it was good that you get a point in a competition like that’s where the plan works and it came to fruition at the most crucial time.”

The Black Ferns Sevens have beaten France 26-12 to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics after earlier today defeating Fiji in the semifinal, banishing the heartbreak of finishing second to Australia at the Rio Games five years ago.

Michaela Blyde, Gayle Broughton and Stacey Fluhler crossed in the first half to give New Zealand a 19-5 lead at the break with Tyla Nathan-Wong adding a fourth try early in the second spell to wrap up the win.

Fiji’s Fijianas earlier followed up their gold in the men’s competition with a bronze in the women’s event, defeating Britain 21-12 in the third-place play-off, having narrowly lost the pulsating semifinal against New Zealand.

• READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics rugby sevens: Fiji too strong for NZ and claim gold again
• NZ beats France to clinch gold in Olympic women’s rugby sevens
• Fantastic Fijiana win historic Olympic medal
• Other Tokyo Olympics stories

New Zealand won the silver medal at the Olympics five years ago, and another silver in the men’s competition in Tokyo, but finally they have their gold as they lived up to their billing as top seeds in the competition.

They controlled possession from the kick-off of the final and got their reward when captain Sarah Hirini released the ball to speedy Blyde to score the opening try.

But France hit back through Caroline Drouin as she raced through an uncharacteristically large hole in the Black Ferns’ defence for an unconverted score.

New Zealand’s pace was creating space in wide areas, however, and Gayle Broughton managed to dive over in the corner, before Fluhler carved through the French defence to give her side a 19-5 halftime lead.

Anne-Cecile Ciofani kept France in the contest with a try after two minutes of the second half, but New Zealand restored their 14-point advantage when Nathan-Wong crossed between the posts.

Fiji struck first
Fiji struck first in the bronze-medal match when Alowesi Nakoci crossed under the posts early before they soaked up pressure inside their own 22 from Britain for a full four minutes with some excellent defence.

When the Pacific islanders were finally able to break out with quick hands on the right wing, Nakoci raced in for a second score, before Megan Jones dotted down for Britain to make it 14-5.

The game was made safe for Fiji when Reapi Ulunisau burst through a gap in the Britain defence and streaked away for a try, though Jones grabbed her second to reduce the deficit to nine points.

France had earlier beaten Fiji 12-5 in the pool matches.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

What an interview!

Love this from NZ 7s @rubytui

Beautifully done @JillADouglas pic.twitter.com/WpgR492Fe2

— Jo Currie (@JoCurrie) July 30, 2021

A superb BBC interview with Black Ferns’ Ruby Tui.

This poignant photo by Max Vosailagi captures Fiji’s fixation with rugby sevens, with winning a second Olympic Gold last night by beating New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s final.

Two young boys, glued to what is apparently a TV screen through a neighbourhood front door during the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers, oblivious to their surroundings.

Covid restrictions could have prevented the boys from getting closer to the action.

• READ MORE: Fiji dedicates Olympic sevens win to struggling people back home
• Other Tokyo Olympics Pacific stories

Some quick Fiji reflections:

• The sevens addiction starts young;
• It’s inescapable — during game time every house with a TV will be tuned in;
• If your house doesn’t have a TV, not a problem — the neighbour’s house probably has one;
• Sevens is escapism from the country’s myriad problems, from politics to poverty.
• It is more than escapism — it’s a career and income for players, not to mention the strongest uniting force in a country beset by ethnic tensions; and
• Every young Fijian dreams of donning the national white team jersey one day.

Due to Covid restrictions, some of us had to watch from afar.

For the love of Rugby #teamFiji #Olympics #Rugby pic.twitter.com/hiKmrA0COE

— Max Vosailagi (@realVosailagi) July 28, 2021

Fiji is also playing in the women’s rugby sevens Olympic competition which begins today and ends with the gold medal match on Saturday.

Dr Shailendra Singh is associate professor and coordinator of the journalism programme at the University of the South Pacific. This comment is from Dr Singh’s social media posts and is republished by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

Fiji has dedicated its Olympic rugby sevens win to the people back home who are struggling amidst the country’s covid-19 health crisis.

Fiji defeated New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s sevens final in Tokyo to defend the title they won in Rio five years ago.

Captain Jerry Tuwai said the win is very special for the team and all of Fiji.

• READ MORE: Covid-19: Fiji death toll continues to rise as 1057 new cases confirmed
• Other Tokyo Olympics Pacific stories
• LISTEN TO RNZ: ‘Having a Fiji-New Zealand final is probably one of the best finals” – Former All Black Dallas Seymour (duration 4′:56″)

“Everything that’s been going on in Fiji and all the expectation – as the coach and myself know is that all Fijians want only the win,” he said.

“So I think winning this gold medal will be a very very good day for Fiji today.”

Tuwai was also a part of Fiji’s gold medal winning team in 2016 but said this win holds extra meaning.

“I think it’s more special because we’ve been away from our family for about five to six months so I think this one is special.”

Only the athletes receive Olympic medals and Fiji coach Gareth Baber revealed his captain actually tried to give him his newest prize.

“Jerry was trying to give me his medal,” Baber laughed.

“I said ‘I’m not going to be taking that off you’ and he said, ‘no, no I won one, you have this one’…because that’s the man that he is. He would never take the credit for what he has done and he has achieved.

“It’s a phenomenal feat to have done what he’s done.”

Congrats to our only DUAL gold medalist.
The captain JERRY TUWAI #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #TosoViti #Olympics #rugby pic.twitter.com/tCRYqEmf4G

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber said it had been a difficult year for the Fiji team and the country.

“We were locked down in Fiji, then we went to Australia where we were quarantined for a period of time and I’ve got to pay a special mention to the players and staff who have done this,” he said.

“They came into a training camp on Easter Monday thinking they were going back on on Friday. On the Tuesday they were told they couldn’t go back and they haven’t seen their family since.

“I think what you saw out there over the last three days has been the resilience of the group dealing with whatever’s been thrown our way.”

Congratulations

OUR CHAMPIONS #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #rugby #Olympics #TosoViti pic.twitter.com/m3GSN5pLYk

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 28, 2021

Baber also paid tribute to the impact of newcomers Jiuta Wainiqolo, Sireli Maqala and Iosefo Masi, who only made their international debuts last month.

“This is their first international tournament they’ve ever played in, apart from an Oceania tournament we played some three weeks back in Townsville,” he said.

“To think that we’ve done that behind the closed doors of Fiji and it pays testament really to the quality of rugby that is played in Fiji, particulary the quality of sevens rugby… that’s where the expectation comes from, because we know we’ve got super talent in Fiji.”

They’ve done it again!

A big congratulations to the #FIJ team on their second #gold in a row in the men’s #rugby sevens! #StrongerTogether | #Tokyo2020 | @WorldRugby | @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/t6HA8eIvEn

— Olympics (@Olympics) July 28, 2021

Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor said they were extremely proud of the players, who have sacrificed a lot on their Olympic journey.

“The boys have been together for the last several months from April, away from their families, and there is so much commitment they have given to this journey,” he said.

“That made us confident and I know all of them proudly represented their families and the struggles of Covid-19 that we’re going through and they were playing for their families and for Fiji.”

Fiji recorded 1057 new cases of covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday.

There are now more than 19,168 active cases in isolation, with 218 deaths – 216 of them from this latest outbreak that began in April.

The Fiji team had to separate from their families when the outbreak began and O’Connor said the plight of everyone back home had motivated the team in Tokyo.

“We had to get special permission for them to train in a bubble and I think they all understand the struggles that every Fijian is going through,” he said.

“In their message this afternoon they said they were going to play for all the families who have lost loved ones and all the people who are going through covid-19 – all the frontliners and every Fijian who has been through challenges during this time.”

With covid-19 restrictions in force, Fijians were unable to gather together to watch the gold medal match but it didn’t stop the locals from celebrating.

O’Connor watched the game at home in Suva and said he could hear drums and fireworks throughout the capital after the full-time whistle.

Five years ago thousands of fans lined the streets to welcome the Fiji team home from Rio, but O’Connor said things would have to be different this time around.

“I think the players understand that it’s tough times,” he said.

“We will see them come home and in the meantine we will have discussions with all the stakeholders and see how we can celebrate their victory.”

The Fiji squad departs Tokyo on Thursday and will arrive home on Friday morning, before spending 14 days in quarantine.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.