Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 12 May

RNZ News

12-05-2025

Fiji won the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup final in Japan.
Photo:In a major step forward for rugby in North America, the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 finals will be hosted on US soil for the first time.
World Rugby has announced the matches, which will also decide three teams to go to the 2027 World Cup, will be played in Denver and Salt Lake City.
World Rugby said the final series in September is structured to ensure teams playing across the two weekends offer both competitive clarity and consistent exposure.
Qualification for the 2027 World Cup will be a battle between Samoa, Tonga, USA and Canada, with the best three finishers advancing to the world meet.
A number of international stars have signed up to play in the world's first franchise-based sevens league.
The Indian Rugby Premier League competition will kick off in June and will run for two weeks.
Rugby India and GMR Sports have announced that the tournament will take place in Mumbai from 1 June 1 to 15 June.
RPL will feature selected international players, teaming up with India's rugby talents, in the six different franchise clubs.
Oceania Football's executive committee has confirmed the hosts and dates for all OFC competitions in 2026.
OFC said 2026 will see the conclusion of the Oceania qualifiers for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, as well as OFC men's and women's Champions' Leagues, and the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup.
The World Cup qualifiers will be held in Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Zealand.
The OFC Women's Champions League returns to Solomon Islands while the OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup is scheduled for Tahiti.
Vanuatu Football has partnered with the Christchurch United Football Club in a move aimed at supporting football growth and creating pathways for young talents from the Pacific island nation.
United General Manager, Ryan Edwards, has been in Port Vila meeting with federation officials and stakeholders.
In a joint statement the clubs said the partnership is the result of months of discussions.
Edwards said the recent games between the All Whites and Vanuatu showed there is so much talent in Vanuatu and the other island nations, but most of those talents never get the opportunity to reach their potential.
Tahiti''s men's beach soccer team returned winless from the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The team lost their last pool matches against Spain, going down 8-3, in the Seychelles.
They had lost 7-6 to Chile and 6-3 to Senegal respectively, in their earlier pool matches.