Results for Sports

Tongan athletes from nine sporting disciplines will begin training in China next month as part of a new aid project called the "China Aid Project on Sports Technical Assistance to Tonga-2018”. The training initiative for about 100 athletes and coaches occurs at a crucial point – just eight months before the 2019 Pacific Games are scheduled to begin in Samoa on 7 July, 2019.

The Flying Fijians defeated France 21 – 14 on Saturday 24 November, securing a strong finish to their tour of the northern hemisphere, two weeks after suffering a huge 54 – 17 loss to Scotland.

The ‘Ikale Tahi were unable to score a try against Georgia this morning, losing the final game of their Northern tour in the Georgian capital Tblisi, 20-9.

The World Rugby Council awarded full membership to the rugby unions of Fiji and Samoa on 14 November. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said in a statement that it was a “just reward” for the two countries because of their World Cup performances and development efforts. Both Fiji and Samoa had endorsed “Mandatory Governance Principles” and rolled out reforms for good governance.

Wales ran in ten tries against the ‘Ikale Tahi this morning in Cardiff, Wales. The score was levelled 24 – 24, before a second-half surge by Wales resulted in seven unanswered tries.

Tonga’s national women’s rugby union team will play Fiji tomorrow, Friday, in their opening match of the 2018 Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship in Lautoka, Fiji.

The ‘Ikale Tahi team to face the French Barbarians on 10 November in Bordeaux, France, was announced this morning.

The Canterbury Crusaders have enlisted 18-year-old Leicester Fainga‘anuku to play in the 2019 Super Rugby season. Leicester recently played as an outside back for the Tasman Makos in New Zealand’s Mitre 10 competition, and represented New Zealand at the Under-20s World Cup in June this year where New Zealand finished in fourth place.

Tonga’s Jason Taumalolo and Siosiua Taukeiaho have been nominated for the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) Golden Boot award. The duo joins a list of English, New Zealand, and Australian players also in contention.