Less than eight months after being officially re-opened, Nuku'alofa's Teufaiva Stadium has fallen back into disrepair with much of the stadium’s tin roofing torn off by Cyclone Gita on Monday night. 

Remarkably, the stadium lights appeared to have withstood the winds, but metal sheets on the eastern edge of the stadium were less lucky. The Teufaiva Fitness Centre appeared to be intact, but many nearby homes in the area had torn roofs.

The New Zealand Government funded over NZD$2 million upgrading work for Teufaiva Stadium last year. The upgrade was marked with a re-opening ceremony on 16 June, and was completed in time for the ‘Ikale Tahi to play against Manu Samoa on 30 June, the ‘Ikale Tahi’s first game on home soil for more than 9 years.