Seven New Zealand rugby players and a rugby trainer, visiting Tonga this week, under New Zealand's Pacific Prevention of Domestic Violence Programme, visited schools and conducted training with young rugby players.

The group highlighted the PPDVP slogan, "Break the Silence, End the Violence", when they visited boys only boarding schools, Toloa College and 'Atele College.

They also offered rugby skills training for 8-12 year-old rugby players, the under-18 years old schools representatives team, and the national seven-a-side team.

On November 10, the group were guests of the Acting New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, Dominic Walton-France, at the New Zealand High Commission's office in Nuku'alofa.

Steve Symonds, from the Hurricanes, Super Rugby Wellington franchise, who has supported the PPDVP, said that the group was the second that he had brought to Tonga to campaign for "Break the Silence, End the Violence", and it had been very successful.

He said that Rugby was a sport that had been dubbed "controlled violence", and had something to offer to the PPDVP. He stressed that in rugby, violence was not tolerated either on the field or off the field.

Steve said that the players' presence is the attraction for young rugby plaers, but the message to "Break the Silence, End the Violence" was delivered by New Zealand and Tongan police officers who assisted with the visits.

The group was due to leave Tonga today.