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RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 10 June
Fijian Drua Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Fijian Drua is expected to let go of 10 players at the end of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season. FBC reported chief executive Mark Evans will be making announcements of new signings and players being released at the end of this season, with some members of the Drua development squad expected to be promoted to full contracts. The Drua have already signed World Sevens joint top try scorer and Fiji sevens representative Joji Nasova, and England-based Flying Fijians lock Temo Mayanavanua. North Harbour-based Moana Pasifika last weekend announced the release of 15 of their players ahead of the 2026 season. The PNG Hunters have dropped to eighth on the Queensland Rugby League's Hostplus Cup competition, following their 50-16 loss to the Dolphins in Port Moresby on Sunday. The Hunters were sixth on the table before the game, but the loss means the Dolphins now move into sixth. The Hunters have another home game on Sunday, hosting the Falcons, who are currently in seventh place. Meanwhile, two Ni-Vanuatu sisters were part of the Wigan Warriors team that claimed the Betfred Women's Challenge Cup title at Wembley on Sunday. Vanuatu Rugby League said Shaniah and Tiana Power helped the Wigan Warrirors defeat St Helens 42-6. The Northern Mariana Islands Pacific Mini Games team has received a timely boost as they prepare for the comp. Governor Arnold Palacios has given US$50,000 to support the 162 athletes and officials, representing the self-governing commonwealth in association with the United States. Athletes will compete in athletics, 3x3 basketball, baseball, beach and indoor volleyball, swimming, softball, triathlon, va'a, weightlifting, and wrestling. The 2025 Pacific Mini Games kicks off on 29 June. Four players with Pasifika heritage have captained their respective Super Rugby Pacific teams to semifinal spots. The Chiefs had lock-forward and All Black Tupou Va'ai, who is of Tongan heritage, leading them against the Blues. Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu is of Samoan heritage, as is Brumbies skipper Allan Ala'alatoa. Crusaders captain David Havili is of Tongan heritage. The Crusaders and Blues face off in the first semifinal on Friday, with the Chiefs hosting the Brumbies on Saturday. Fiji Outrigger have named 22 paddlers to represent them at the Palau Mini Games later this month. There are 11 male and 11 female paddlers. Among the outrigger va'a paddlers is 15-year-old Iris Rae Bentley Fisher, who took up the sport two years ago. She will make her debut for Fiji at the Palau Games. Papua New Guinea will host the inaugural Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) women's Prime Minister's Cup football tournament in November. The National reported the event was confirmed in Suva last Friday, following a meeting of the MSG sports committee. Dates have been confirmed for 10 to 22 November. Teams will include PNG, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Former All Black, Shannon Frizell, has re-signed with the Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan, pouring water on claims he was returning to New Zealand to chase another All Black spot. Rugby Japan says the 31-year-old Tonga-born back-rower will remain with the club in the Japanese League One competition up until the end of 2026. The former Highlanders loosie has made 35 appearances in Japan's top-flight, scoring 21 tries. He made his last appearance for New Zealand at the 2023 World Cup final against South Africa.
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 21 May
Glen Jackson working with the Fiji national team in 2021. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Fijian Drua coach Glen Jackson is urging patience as the team's season approaches its end. The Drua are 10th and second-last with two rounds of Super Rugby Pacific to go. They have a bye this weekend before finishing their season against the Reds in Brisbane on 31 May. FBC reported Jackson saying he understands the fans are unhappy with the results. "They're probably sick and tired of hearing me about how young we are and how inexperienced we are. "But that's the life of what we were at, so very motivated to finish well." The Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika are expecting some player movements for the new 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season. Drua co-captain and hooker Tevita Ikanivere is expected to leave the cub for a possible contract in Europe, while 21-year-old flanker Motikai Murray has re-signed for another two seasons. Fiji Sevens player Joji Nasova will join the Fijian Drua in 2026. The Fiji Times reports the club has announced the Olympic silver medalist joining on a two-year deal. Joji Nasova was named in the 2025 HSBC SVNS Men's Dream Team and was the joint top try-scorer of the series. Meanwhile, Moana Pasifika has confirmed that utility backline player, Fine Inisi, will join the Dragons in Wales, at the end of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific series. Australian-born Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu says he is "all in" for the British and Irish Lions. reported that amid ongoing debate about the selection of foreign-born players, the Glasgow centre - who has Tongan heritage - is set to line up against the Wallabies during the Lions tour. Tuipulotu, who made his international debut in 2021, is among seven members of Andy Farrell's 38-man squad who hail from overseas. Five of those players are eligible for their adopted nations on residency rules, while Melbourne-born Tuipulotu qualified through his Scottish grandmother. He said he is looking forward to showing how committed he is to playing for the Lions. Oceania Football president, Lambert Maltock, says the new OFC Pro-league will transform the landscape of football in the region. Maltock told the OFC 31st Ordinary Congress in Paraguay that the league will help clubs, players, and people aspire to the highest standards. He said Oceania is also strong on youth development and growing the women's game. OFC has over 70,000 young players in the different national academies and grassroots programmes. Guam's men's basketball team has been drawn into a strong group at the 2027 Basketball World Cup Asian qualifier, alongside Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. Australia is number three in the world, while Guam is the lowest-ranked by some margin at 88th. The qualifier tips off in November when Guam opens its campaign against Australia, with its other games not until next year. Speaking after the draw, Guam national coach Edward Calvo said every team at this level is elite, but he felt they can learn a lot by playing the best. He said Guam's focus in the short term is on preparing for the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, where they'll face Japan, Iran, and Syria.
