Viliami 'Ofahengaue, better known as Willy O, the former Wallaby has finally been confirmed by the Tonga Rugby Union as national coach for the 'Ikale Tahi.

The CEO of the Tongan Rugby Union, Sakopo Lolohea, said on March 10 that Willy O would arrive in Tonga during the first week of April for the signing of his coaching contract with the TRU. Sakopo said that the details of the contract, its duration and Willy O's fees would be finalised then.

Willy O's name was prominent favourite among a short-list of names for the TRU to choose from.

The 2004 rugby season is a very important year for Tonga and Pacific islands rugby. Sakopo said that the immediate task at hand for Willy O was to select the 'Ikale Tahi for the tri-nations tournament between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa to be played during May.

Tukua Tonga, who was a deputy to Jim Love, the 2003 world Cup Coach of the 'Ikale Tahi, has been re-selected by the Tonga Rugby Union as the national deputy coach and a co-selector, with Willy O, of the 'Ikale Tahi.

Tukua said that the selection of the 'Ikale Tahi will be from local and overseas Tongan players. He said that during the Tri-nations they will pick the ten top players to represent Tonga in the combined Pacific Islands team, the Islanders which will play the All Blacks and the Wallabies in early July and the Springboks on July 17.

Tukua said that the union from each island nations was to select their ten top players, not necessarily to fill specific positions but just their top ten players and these 30 players would make up the Islanders team. Tukua said that the only element of influence in the selection of the Islanders was that the winner of the Tri-nations would have more say on the specific positions to be filled by their players, and therefore it was important for Tonga to win the Tri-nations.

The executive of the Islanders has not been officially confirmed but Tukua said that the manager was Charlie Charters from Fiji and the coach, Michael Jones from Samoa.