Tonga Women's Sevens take on World Champs in cup final [1]
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 07:10. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 09:54.
By Lano Fonua
THE Tonga Women's Sevens program took another step forward this week, with the national team making the Cup Final against the reigning world champions, the Australian Pearls, at the Noosa International 7's Festival in Noosa, Queensland.
Tonga qualified top of its pool, after an undefeated run on day one of the tournament. The Tongan Women started the day with a convincing 19-0 win against the fancied Sunnybank Rugby Club team, with speedster Sela Va'enuku staring with a hat-trick of tries. This form continued when the team met local aboriginal club side, the Murri Magic, and triumphed with 40-0, with strong performances from play-makers 'Atelaite Manu and 'Eseta Vi, who were in only their second game for Tonga.
Finishing top of the pool meant the team would meet Cook Islands Queensland in the Cup Semi-final on Day Two. Although the Cooks team was made of Cook Islanders based in Queensland, the match proved to be full of the passion expected in a battle of the Pacific neighbours.
Tonga was put on the back foot early, when barnstorming winger Kiana Mu'amoholeva saw a yellow-card for a high-tackle just after kick-off. The tightly contested first-half finished with Tonga holding a slim lead of 7-5. With a berth in the final on the line, Tonga came back firing, with Sela Va'enuku crossing for try, and Kiana Mu'amoholeva making up for her earlier indiscretion by sealing the game with a spectacular solo effort from 22 metres out, to make the final score 21-5 to Tonga.
That result set-up a clash between the unranked Tonga Women's team and the World Champion Aussie Pearls, for the Noosa 7's Cup. The final started with a bang with Lupe Fisilau producing a bone crunching hit on Shannon Peary, that stopped the Australian Women's star in her tracks, with the Pearls hot on the attack. However, there would be no fairy-tale ending for the Tongan Women, with Australia regaining their composure and underlining their number one status with a commanding performance in the final. With almost all of the possession, the Pearls ran in eight tries, finishing up as the winner at 53-0.
Speaking after the match, coach Mark Hojelson was looking at the positives, "I am extremely proud of the girls, it's not everyday you get to play the world champions".
The Tongan Women's Sevens team will now head into camp in Brisbane, where they will based at the Brisbane Souths Rugby Club, with an open training session on November 15. The team then travels to the Gold Coast for the Paradise Sevens Tournament, where they have a chance for revenge, having been drawn in the same pool as the Aussie Pearls. The Paradise Sevens begins on November 19 at Gold Coast Rugby Club, Carrara.