NZ's Christchurch United partners with Vanuatu Football Federation in a move that could enhance the chances of both to be admitted to the OFC Pro League
The road to professional soccer in the Pacific has seen the Vanuatu Football Federation join forces with New Zealand club, Christchurch United.
The formal partnership has been established on the back of discussions with VFF officials, national captain Brian Kaltak, and former national coach, Juliano Schmeling.
Those talks began after the earthquake in Port Vila six months ago, when the New Zealand club stepped in and offered to assist in getting football in the capital back on its feet.
The hope is the new partnership will boost the bids by both the VFF and Christchurch to secure a place in the OFC Pro League when it kicks off next year, but United's General Manager, Ryan Edwards says the immediate focus is on player and coach development.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Australian Swimming Trials for World Aquatics Championships begin in Adelaide
Coming off an outstanding Olympic performance when the Dolphins won a collective seven golds, nine silvers and three bronze medals, next month's World Aquatic Championships present the next chance for the team to take on the might of the United States and maintain Australia's place as one of the world's leading swimming nations. However, the Dolphins will be without some big names even before the Australian Swimming Trials begin in Adelaide on Monday. Dual Paris gold medallist and 400m freestyle world record holder Ariarne Titmus is taking the year off swimming. Emma McKeon, Australia's most successful Olympian, has retired. Cate Campbell is long gone, while her sister Bronte is yet to decide on her future but will not be swimming in Adelaide. There have been other retirements, including Tokyo and Paris gold medallist Brianna Throssell, world championship gold medal-winning breaststroker Matt Wilson, and breaststrokers Chelsea Hodges and Jenna Strauch. With injuries to rising star Iona Anderson (backstroke) and the recent national 50m and 100m breaststroke champion Sam Williamson, the Dolphins team that goes to the World Championships in many ways will represent a changing of the guard. Head coach Rohan Taylor said he is as interested as anyone to see how his squad will shape up. "There's a number of athletes who have taken a good extended break after Paris and just want to get back on and see where they're at," he said. "I think they'll learn a lot about themselves. "There's a lot of openings for some of the young swimmers that will jump into those events, and we'll get some new blood on to the team and that'll be their first international experience. "For me, I just want to sit back and see where we're at after Worlds, and what we need to do to keep moving forwards. "I think we've got a really core group of athletes who are experienced and who will carry us through to LA." Taylor said his coaches are going to do everything they can to support the established stars who have committed to swimming at the 2028 LA Olympics. "Our main goal is that the performances at trials are repeated or improved on at the World Championships," Taylor said. "So, we want to see athletes qualify for the team and when they compete again in six weeks, they're swimming as fast or faster. We want that repeat-ability," he said. With Australia going through a golden era in swimming, Taylor believes the Australian public will be keenly watching the events in Adelaide over the next week and then the World Championships. "I think this group of athletes and coaches have really earned the right to have attention and focus on them," he said. Despite several accomplished stars not competing this week, there is still plenty of star power in Adelaide. Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O'Callaghan and Cam McEvoy all showed they were a class above their peers in their respective events at April's National Championships, despite being in the middle of solid training blocks. O'Callaghan was peerless taking out the 100m-200m double at the National Championships. McEvoy's 21.48 at the National Championships was the third fastest time in the world this year, which he credited to work on his starts and points to a potentially faster time in Adelaide this week. Kyle Chalmers, gold medallist in the 100m freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics, swam the second-fastest time in the world this year for the 100m freestyle in Norway and a personal best in the 50m freestyle at a meet in Sweden in April. "There's a lot that I still want to achieve and have success over the next few years and to be able to go to a fourth Olympics in LA would be amazing," Chalmers said. "My fiancée is going to make a comeback to swimming as well, and our goal is to be able to go to that Olympics together and have our daughter in the stands watching us, which I think is, yeah, going to be pretty special if we're able to do that." The star of the Paris Paralympics, dual gold-medallist Alexa Leary, said she could not wait for the trials to begin. "I just know it's show time. I just love it," she said. "Here's just you know, a bit of a warm-up. I'm still going to give it to them in the water, but I've just got to make it a little bit of a warm-up, big show-time in Singapore." Other names to watch out for include the men's distance swimmers Elijah Winnington, Samuel Short, and rising 1500m swimmer Benjamin Goedemans. Victorian Tara Kinder and Queenslander Ella Ramsay, both 20, enjoyed breakout performances at the National Championships. Kinder claimed the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley, while Ramsay won the 100m backstroke and 400m individual medley.

ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Why Brumbies can meet challenge of beating Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific semifinal
Defeating the Chiefs in Hamilton is always a tough ask, but it's not mission impossible for the ACT Brumbies in next Saturday night's Super Rugby Pacific semifinal. And this isn't simply because the Blues found a formula to beating the top-ranked Chiefs in enemy territory, when they came away with an upset 20-19 victory in the first week of the finals. The Brumbies showed they could compete with the Chiefs 'on the road' back in round three. The final 49-34 scoreline masked how close the contest was in Hamilton, with the Brumbies trailing by five points with just over four minutes left in the match. Each side scored six tries and it was the Chiefs' superior goal kicking — via the boots of Damian McKenzie and Josh Jacomb — that proved the difference on the scoreboard. The Brumbies' fortunes turned after the loss in Hamilton, as only a week later they posted their first win over the Blues (21-20) at Eden Park in 12 years. They also regained the services of arguably their most influential player, Rob Valetini, a few weeks later following his return from a hamstring injury that saw him miss the start of the season. However, an area of concern the Brumbies need to address in the sudden-death encounter against the Chiefs is their defence. Four tries were conceded in the 35-28 defeat of the Hurricanes in Saturday night's qualifying final at Canberra Stadium. The Chiefs can exploit even the slightest of defensive lapses with the array of attacking threats they possess in their line-up. Conquering the mental demons that come from losing three consecutive semifinals on New Zealand soil is another challenge the Brumbies must face. But an encouraging sign is the fact they haven't appeared intimidated in any of their matches against New Zealand opposition this season. This can't be said about every performance from an Australian team when they've faced a trans-Tasman rival. The Brumbies' victory over the Hurricanes was far from perfect, but it did illustrate they can adapt their game to the cut-throat atmosphere of finals rugby. With no bonus points up for grabs, Stephen Larkham's side knew all they had to do was win to keep their season alive and they achieved this through old-fashioned grit. There was nothing pretty about four of their five tries, scored via conservative — but effective — tactics. Billy Pollard's brace came from driving mauls from line-outs, while fellow front-rowers Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper crossed the chalk after the patient use of one-out runners and the 'pick and go' ploy. Tom Wright's second-half try was the only score managed from brilliance in attack, with the Wallabies fullback running into open space via a breathtaking inside ball from Valetini, deftly executed in contact. This is a strength of the Brumbies: they can score tries with style and flair, as well as through 'blue-collar' methods. Winning in Christchurch was already an uphill battle for the Queensland Reds before they took the field against the Crusaders. The hosts held a 29-0 win-loss record in home finals prior to playing the Reds last Friday night. The Reds made the task more difficult for themselves with an inept display in the first half of the qualifying final, conceding two tries, giving away six penalties to one and barely laying a glove on the home side in attack. The final penalty count finished 11-6 against the Reds, with five of those coming in scrums. The Crusaders fed off the Reds' poor discipline and misfiring set-piece to complete a comprehensive 32-12 victory and move through to the semifinals, where they will play the Crusaders at home on Friday night. No positive spin can be applied to the Reds' performance, who were outclassed by a more talented, aggressive and hungrier opponent. It brought an end to a Reds' campaign that saw them lead the standings earlier in the competition, only to fall away with a 3-5 win-loss return from their last eight regular-season matches. Even with the blooding of several players in 2024 and the addition of some ex-Melbourne Rebels, the Reds' depth was stretched this season when injuries took their toll. Ahead of their clash with the Crusaders, the Reds had six Wallabies — including Liam Wright, Matt Faessler and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto — sitting in the casualty ward. Among those who took the field in Christchurch, Test players Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Tom Lynagh, Filipo Daugunu, Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook had all spent time on the sidelines due injury or concussion protocols. The Reds used 38 players across the season, although head coach Les Kiss didn't advance injuries as an excuse for why his side exited in the first week of the finals. While financial reasons underpinned the Rebels' axing last year, the move helped consolidate Australia's player pool among the remaining four teams. When there were five clubs, the talent was spread too thinly and this showed in the results, especially after the competition was rebranded as Super Rugby Pacific in 2022. But player depth remains an issue for Australian teams, even within a condensed environment. Still, the Reds can be buoyed by the progress Joe Brial made in his second year at Ballymore, as well as Richie Asiata's breakout season. Both could find themselves members of the Wallabies' wider squad during the British and Irish Lions series and Rugby Championship. The Brumbies may be the last Australian team standing, but there is still much interest — from a Wallabies point of view — in how the finals play out in regard to the Crusaders. As he has done throughout the season, James O'Connor featured off the bench in the Crusaders' win over the Reds. O'Connor didn't have much to do across his two stints on the field, with his output restricted to six passes, one carry and four tackles. He did slip up on the stroke of half-time with a mistimed kick for touch — from a penalty — going dead, but only the harshest judge would hold that against the 34-year-old when weighing up his Wallabies' selection chances. O'Connor has played well enough for the Crusaders to be considered a contender to face the Lions, with a role off the bench suiting him at this point of his career. His experience, which includes starting at fly-half in all three Tests against the Lions in 2013, would be invaluable, given the sparse play-making options available to the Wallabies.


ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Independence remembered: Samoa's story
This Week on Radio Australia — we're turning up the volume on independence and the voices shaping the Pacific, from music and arts to sport and politics. On Nesia Daily, hosts Jacob McQuire and Michael Chow reconnect with one of the very first voices they featured nearly two years ago — marking Samoa's Independence Day on June 1st with a powerful reflection on identity and progress. On Politok, journalist Scott Waide dives deep into PNG's energy crisis. He unpacks how decades of power cuts are putting lives at risk — and why the system still hasn't been fixed. And on Nesian Footy, Sam Wykes and Tinirau Arona sit down with Oneata Schwalger. She's gone from playing both codes to chasing a new dream — coaching at the top level. Relax into your Sunday morning with two hours of the best stories from across the Pacific. Host, Kuntamari crofts, will take you on a Pacific Sundays journey, bringing you stories that will inspire, entertain and inform you.