'Ikale Tahi

Dear Editor

Once the pride of all Tongans, the 'Ikale Tahi is now ranked 20th by the IRB while our rivals Fiji and Samoa are 10th and 12th respectively.

I had the priviledge to be at Teufaiva to watch the last IT v Manu Samoa match on 19th August. I cannot hold my tears when I saw the men in red putting their hands on the seal and their heart when the 'Otua Mafimafi was played. These fine young men showed their love for their king and country and played their hearts out in the true spirit of the game. Unfortunately they did not produce the results that every Tongan expected but they demonstrated what it takes to restore the pride of Tongan rugby, mateaki and 'ofa fonua.

I salute our players, particularly our overseas-based ones, for making the effort to come and wear the red jersey. The game may have gone professional but I believe big money alone will not be sufficient to restore the pride of Tongan rugby. We must have mateaki and 'ofa fonua not only from the players but from the administrators of the game and the general public as well.

There was a recent plea in the House for some government financial support to the IT. The PM's reply was ".... who would give money to a losing team?" . About 90% of the local press coverage of the IT was nowhere near encouraging the boys to demonstrate that the nation is behind them and is proud of them. Talks in the kalapu were littered with fakaanga mei he tefito'i niu.

Appreciation

There is no way we can restore the pride of Tongan rugby with such a mentality. It is not so much the amount of money government can give but it is more to do with the acknowledgement, the appreciation and the respect that the government, (on behalf of the people of the Kingdom), has towards these young men and the game we all love.

Has a government minister or an MP ever visited the team at their camp or welcome them back at Fu...‚amotu airport? This is an obvious area where the MS is different from the IT. Just look at the after the match interviews. Semo Sititi will always start by referring to their Head of State Malietoa, PM and Parliament and then to the people of Samoa as a whole.

The Fiji government recently stepped in to salvage Fiji rugby financially and kept Pivac in his job. Qarase stated that this is the one game all Fijians love. Tongans equally love the game and one need only look at the warm receptions given to the IT by our Tongan communities in Australia, NZ, Fiji and Samoa. The harsh criticisms of the IT is also an indication of the people's love for the game.

There is a lot that the media can help to restore pride to Tongan rugby. Was Lutui and Willie O ever interviewed in a special programme by any TV or radio stations as they are role models for the future generations of IT ruggers? Perhaps rugby is not political enough to be in their programmes!

Bottom

My memory tells me that the IT has been on the bottom of the Pacific Tri Nations for the last 12 years or so. During this time, the IT has not beaten Samoa or Fiji on their grounds and neither had the IT beaten them on home soil. There was only a fluke one year when the IT beat the MS at Teufaiva and there were only about 100 spectators to witness the historical event. The rest were the usual meimei.

I believe that to restore pride to Tongan rugby, we must give our best players (whether local or overseas) to the IT. It reminds me of one Sapate Ako when the President of the FWC Schools told a congregation: "I can understand your disappointment with the below average examination results by our church schools but you should not be expecting the results to change when you continue to send your own most capable and talented children and teachers to other non-church schools."

The talents of players with Tongan roots are all over Tonga, NZ, Australia, Japan and Europe and we must make use of these Tongan factories for rugby, netball, etc

Heroes

We must also try to place some higher value on the red jersey and its Lupe, as the old guards call it. It was worn by heroes in the past and the legend must continue. A player has not only to shed sweat and blood but also the mateaki and 'ofa fonua in order to wear the Lupe. It is not about players with hefty financial contracts overseas or those who have played Super 12 level. It is about people who have the heart to represent the king and Tonga regardless of how much money Tonga rugby can offer them. This is Jones...‚ philosophy with the MS and it is working with them. In that respect I take my hat off to Lutui and Filise and their commitment to the IT. Does it say something about players from the Vaotata and those who were brought up in the local ranks?

I also believe Mr Editor that we need a new Sipitau (fakatulou moe maa'imoa). We need one for a war as the finger pointing in the current one is like women trading verbal abuses. We need one which every Tongan sport team and even the primary school children can proudly perform. Such as the AB's haka and the MS's siva tau are proudly performed by babies to the elderlies throughout NZ and Samoa. The Lavengamalie tournament was successful with their sipitau competition and Tonga rugby can do one and select the best for HM's blessing.

There have been a lot of criticisms leveled against the IT players, administrators and the coach and some labelling the IT as fuleheu. I would like to say "koe sole e moe ki...‚i Fisi tama, laka hake koe 'o tui e falani." The days when the IT will kapapuna is on the horizon and all Tongans will walk head high with the performance of their much loved team.

'Ofa atu

Sailosi Finau

Auckland, NZ

sailosifinau [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] au