Albanese watches Rugby Test with Fijian PM in show of football diplomacy
Fiji was poised to beat the Wallabies but a last-minute try from captain Harry Wilson saved the day, securing Australia a 21-18 win.
The prime ministers posed for photos just before kick-off, with each of them donning scarves for their respective teams.
But as much as the match was a friendly sporting rivalry between neighbours, it played out against a backdrop of Pacific politics shaped by an increasingly aggressive China.
The Albanese government has pumped billions into countering Chinese influence in the region – an endeavour to which Fiji is key.
Little more than an hour after the match, Defence Industry and Pacific Affairs Minister Pat Conroy announced Australia and Fiji were 'taking steps to formally elevate and deepen the Vuvale Partnership as we work together to ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific'.
Among the key elements outlined were supporting Fiji roll out its new national security strategy and boosting Australian development assistance by $40m over four years.
The latest cash commitment put Australia's total assistance to Fiji at $500m from 2025 to 2029.
Other key elements included more Australian Federal Police officers embedded in Fiji's police force and tightening up border security at the country's major ports.
'During Fiji Prime Minister Sitveni Rabuka's visit to Australia, we affirmed our support for Prime Minister Rabuka's vision for an 'Ocean of Peace' including family first Pacific regionalism and Pacific-led solutions to Pacific challenges,' Mr Conroy said in a statement.
While defence and security have been top-of-mind, the Albanese government has also prioritised people-to-people links with Australia's 'Pacific family'.
Speaking to Newcastle radio on Saturday, Mr Albanese spruiked the match as doing just that.
'It is really important to recognise that relationships between nations essentially comes down to relationships between people,' he told the ABC.
'And that's why we unapologetically have provided support to support rugby in the region.
'That includes support that Australia has provided of $10 million over seven years for the Fijian Drua women and men to participate in those Super Rugby Pacific and Australia Super W competitions.'
He noted Mr Rabuka 'timed his visit to Australia' to coincide with the rugby test.
'It is a great way in which our nations can show our commonality,' Mr Albanese said.
'We are all members of the Pacific family.'
Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Rabuka vowed to fight Chinese efforts to set up a base in the Pacific for as 'long as I'm Prime Minister'.
'There is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific,' he told the National Press Club.
'If they want to come, who would welcome them? Not Fiji.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
17 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Pacing guns Leap To Fame, Don Hugo clash in second rounds of 2025 Inter Dominion heats
The Inter Dominion pacing final has come a week early. At least that's how it looks with an earlier than expected clash of pacing big guns Leap To Fame and Don Hugo in the second round of Ladbrokes Inter Dominion heats at Albion Park on Saturday night. Most fans, and connections of both horses, had hoped and expected they wouldn't clash until the $1 million Grand Final a week later. But the random nature of the field selection on night two will see not only Leap To Fame and Don Hugo clash, but also eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave and emerging Kiwi star Pinseeker are also in the same heat. This will be the fourth time Leap To Fame and Don Hugo, who both easily won their opening heats at Albion Park last Saturday night, have met with the former holding a 2-1 advantage. The barrier draw is the big talking point this time and gives Don Hugo a huge to square the ledger. Don Hugo has drawn gate one and looks a certain leader, while Leap To Fame has yet again drawn the worst possible barrier for him, gate eight (inside the back row). Leap To Fame is an easing $1.60 favourite with Don Hugo at $2.50. Don Hugo's trainer-driver Luke McCarthy conceded he had a lot in his favour this time. ðŸ�† ID25 Round 1 - Pacers Heat 2 ðŸ�† The defending Inter Dominion champ stalks the lead, peels at the turn and scores well! A class performance & drive from Luke McCarthy! ðŸ'� @ladbrokescomau @CobbittyEquine @HRNSW_Harness @TheCreekAlbion #QLDisRacing — RaceQ (@RaceQLD) July 5, 2025 'If we can't beat him this week, the way the barriers have landed, I don't see how we can in the final. The draw is a huge help,' he said. McCarthy doesn't subscribe to the widely-held theory Leap To Fame's trainer-driver Grant Dixon will follow him through at the start and stalk him. 'No, I think Grant's plan will be to get straight off again,' he said. 'There will be plenty of speed at the start and I'm not sure Leap To Fame would have the speed to be able to hold my back, so I can't see him taking the risk of being buried three back on the inside. 'Either way, the draw gives us our chance.' McCarthy was thrilled with Don Hugo's soft opening round heat win. 'I deliberately took him in fresh knowing how he thrives on the hard racing. He'll take plenty out of that run and be better again for the final. I'm really happy were he's at. 'But Leap To Fame was awesome winning his heat and I know the enormity of the challenge ahead, this week and in the final.' ðŸ�† ID25 Round 1 - Pacers Heat 3 ðŸ�† Just a little flex from the champion LEAP TO FAME in the third heat! Gee, Larry just made that look easy tonight ðŸ'¥ 😳 @TheCreekAlbion @ladbrokescomau #QLDisRacing — RaceQ (@RaceQLD) July 5, 2025 Leap To Fame firmed from $1.30 to $1.25 to win the final after night one, while Don Hugo eased from $3.50 to $3.80. McCarthy was taken by the performance of NSW pacer Captains Knock when second to Don Hugo on night one. 'He's a really nice horse when he's right and it looks like Brad (Hewitt) has him firing again at the right time. He was very brave after doing the work against Hugo,' he said. Captains Knock escapes the stars in round two and is $2.20 against Speak The Truth and Rakero Rebel at $3.80. The other opening night heat winner, Shannon Price's talented local Sure Thing Captain (gate four), is $1.40 to repeat the dose in round two from gate four. His main danger will be classy veteran Max Delight (gate 12).
News.com.au
22 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Jordan Thompson has given up chances of another Wimbledon doubles final after injury ended his singles campaign
Jordan Thompson may have thought he was a 'bit of a pussy' for withdrawing from the biggest match of his career but his body was so broken it also cost him a chance at a Wimbledon doubles crown. A combination of 'everything' forced the world No.44 to retire during the second set of his clash with fifth seed Taylor Fritz who called the Australian 'valiant' for even getting onto the court for the fourth round clash. Thompson rebuffed the compliment from his opponent and having battled injury leading into and during the tournament, said rest would be crucial to be able to prepare for the US Open. That would likely mean giving up his doubles campaign with French partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert, having lost last year's final with fellow Aussie Max Purcell. 'Everything in my body's already aggravated, and I think I just made it worse,' Thompson said having shaken hands with his opponent down 3-0 and 40-o after losing the opening set. 'It's just my back. And my legs are obviously very tight from compensating. Reaching up to get that lob, I don't think that my back liked it very much, and neither did my legs.' 'Honestly, I feel like a bit of a pussy pulling out. I wouldn't call it valiant.' It was still the best singles return at Wimbledon for Thompson who almost didn't start the event before consecutive five-set matches took their toll. 'I've been sore every day, and was kind of waiting for it to happen,' said the 31-year-old, who missed out on making his maiden grand slam quarter-final. 'I had been thinking of not playing this tournament. So I'm now just taking the positives, it's my best result here, so it's still a great tournament.' He said it would be a 'miracle' if he played out the doubles. 'It's looking that way,' he said. 'I told my partner, if by some miracle, I wake up tomorrow morning and feel like I have been in the previous matches that I'll play, but I'd say a 95 per cent chance of not.' His exit leaves Alex de Minaur to carry Australian hopes as the lone singles player among the original 17-strong contingent and Thompson is confident Australia's top player can topple eight-time champ Novak Djokovic on Centre Court on Monday night. 'Well, Demon's beaten him before and I haven't,' said Thompson. ''If he believes he can win, he can. He's the underdog, so, hopefully, he plays freely and just takes it to him.'
News.com.au
22 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Trump administration sets new tariff deadline
The Trump administration has extended a freeze on sweeping US tariffs, pushing the July 9 deadline back to August 1. Donald Trump announced his 'reciprocal tariffs' on April 2 but paused them for 90 days to give countries time to negotiate deals with Washington. Australia was not slapped with those duties but was instead subjected to the universal 10 per cent imposts on all foreign imports – a position Anthony Albanese has said he did not expect to change. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said overnight that countries set to be slugged with steeper tariffs would receive letters indicating their new rates if they failed to secure deals before the new deadline. 'President Trump is going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that, if you don't move things along, then on August 1st, you will boomerang back to your April 2nd tariff level,' Mr Bessent told CNN. 'So, I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly.' He said the US President would 'send out probably 100 letters to small countries where we don't have very much trade and most of those are already at the baseline 10 per cent'. Mr Bessent also denied August 1 was a new deadline, despite the Trump administration characterising July 9 as a final cut-off. 'It's not a new deadline,' he said. 'We are saying, this is when it's happening. 'If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate that's your choice.' He said the 'playbook is to apply maximum pressure'. 'We saw three weeks ago that the EU was very slow in coming to the table,' Mr Bessent said. 'Three weeks ago, on Friday morning, President Trump threatened 50 per cent tariffs, and, within a few hours, five of the European national leaders had called him and Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU, was on the phone, and the EU is making very good progress. 'They were off to a slow start.' Earlier in the initial 90-day pause, the Trump administration told the Albanese government it would not receive a letter hitting Australia with a steeper rate. Aside from the baseline 10 per cent tariffs, Australia is subjected to levies of up to 50 per cent on steel and aluminium. So far, only the UK and the Vietnam have negotiated deals with the US. But neither country has had tariffs removed entirely.
