Women’s Rugby banned from Government Schools [1]
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 18:16. Updated on Thursday, March 22, 2018 - 17:34.
A member of Tonga High School’s girls tag rugby team told Matangi Tonga today that her team was pulled out of a competition last week and told to stop playing rugby because they were girls.
Tonga’s Ministry of Education and Training (MET) confirmed that a letter was signed on 15 March, ordering all Government schools to ban female students from participating in the sports of rugby and boxing.
Tonga High School principal Taisia Ma’u also confirmed that she received direction from MET to stop her female students from playing rugby for the school.
According to the letter, the purpose of the regulation was to preserve the dignity of Tongan women and hold on to Tongan cultural values.
Acting CEO for MET, Manu ‘Akau’ola, told Matangi Tonga that the letter was signed by a senior education officer Alifeleti Fonua for the Director of Education Claude Tupou. The Minister of Education and Training is Penisimani Fifita.