Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 28 July
Photo:
Photosport
Former Wallaby Issak Fines-Leleiwasa is joining the Fijian Drua for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Fines-Leleiwasa has featured for the Western Force in the past three years and had declared his intentions to play for Fiji, with his three-year international stand-down period coming to an end in October 2026.
The 29-year-old made his Wallabies debut against France in 2023.
He is eligible to play for Fiji through his Fijian-born father.
The first eight teams to compete in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League, due to kick off in January 2026, will be announced next month.
OFC said its club licensing committee will review the assessments and recommend the successful applicants to the OFC executive committee for their decision.
There are 13 clubs in the running, with four out of New Zealand, two each from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, plus one club each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu.
OFC professional league manager Stuart Larman said the the clubs have all worked hard to meet the requirements of the club licensing regulations.
Tonga National Rugby League is seeking a new women's coach for the Pacific Championships.
The person will take care of Tonga in their Pacific Cup fixtures against Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, in October and November.
Applications close on 1 August.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Storm assistant coach Ryan Hinchcliffe will join Toa Samoa's head coach Ben Gardiner as an assistant for the men's Pacific Cup.
Toa Samoa will meet Tonga and New Zealand in the competition.
Fiji's under-20 men's rugby team will be part of the expanded World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2026, scheduled to be hosted by Georgia.
World Rugby announced the prestigious age-grade tournament has been expanded from the current 12 teams to 16 next year.
Fiji, as the Oceania champion, will join hosts Georgia as well as USA, Japan and Uruguay at the event.
World Rugby's Nigel Cass said the expansion is a significant step forward in the mission to enhance global competitiveness and provide more young players with the opportunity to shine on the international stage.
The Vanuatu Judo Federation says they need government to invest in judo development, especially securing proper training facilities.
VJF Vice President Nazario said a lot more success would be achieved with proper judo facilities or dojo.
Vanuatu Daily Post
reported the Vanuatu judo team, who trained without proper facilities, returned from the Pacific Mini Games in Palau with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Nazario said a lot of young athletes are taking up judo and a proper training facility is needed to better prepare judokas for upcoming tournaments.
Fiji is to host two major futsal tournaments later this year.
Oceania Football said the OFC Futsal Men's Cup will be held in Suva in September - after the tournament was moved from Solomon Islands.
The OFC said the decision was made with member associations, considering the logistics of hosting the competition in Honiara.
Fiji will also host the Futsal Men's Champions League, in late November, in Suva.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 28 July
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa scores a try for the ACT Brumbies. Photo: Photosport Former Wallaby Issak Fines-Leleiwasa is joining the Fijian Drua for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season. Fines-Leleiwasa has featured for the Western Force in the past three years and had declared his intentions to play for Fiji, with his three-year international stand-down period coming to an end in October 2026. The 29-year-old made his Wallabies debut against France in 2023. He is eligible to play for Fiji through his Fijian-born father. The first eight teams to compete in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League, due to kick off in January 2026, will be announced next month. OFC said its club licensing committee will review the assessments and recommend the successful applicants to the OFC executive committee for their decision. There are 13 clubs in the running, with four out of New Zealand, two each from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, plus one club each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu. OFC professional league manager Stuart Larman said the the clubs have all worked hard to meet the requirements of the club licensing regulations. Tonga National Rugby League is seeking a new women's coach for the Pacific Championships. The person will take care of Tonga in their Pacific Cup fixtures against Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, in October and November. Applications close on 1 August. Meanwhile, Melbourne Storm assistant coach Ryan Hinchcliffe will join Toa Samoa's head coach Ben Gardiner as an assistant for the men's Pacific Cup. Toa Samoa will meet Tonga and New Zealand in the competition. Fiji's under-20 men's rugby team will be part of the expanded World Rugby Under-20 Championship in 2026, scheduled to be hosted by Georgia. World Rugby announced the prestigious age-grade tournament has been expanded from the current 12 teams to 16 next year. Fiji, as the Oceania champion, will join hosts Georgia as well as USA, Japan and Uruguay at the event. World Rugby's Nigel Cass said the expansion is a significant step forward in the mission to enhance global competitiveness and provide more young players with the opportunity to shine on the international stage. The Vanuatu Judo Federation says they need government to invest in judo development, especially securing proper training facilities. VJF Vice President Nazario said a lot more success would be achieved with proper judo facilities or dojo. Vanuatu Daily Post reported the Vanuatu judo team, who trained without proper facilities, returned from the Pacific Mini Games in Palau with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Nazario said a lot of young athletes are taking up judo and a proper training facility is needed to better prepare judokas for upcoming tournaments. Fiji is to host two major futsal tournaments later this year. Oceania Football said the OFC Futsal Men's Cup will be held in Suva in September - after the tournament was moved from Solomon Islands. The OFC said the decision was made with member associations, considering the logistics of hosting the competition in Honiara. Fiji will also host the Futsal Men's Champions League, in late November, in Suva.
NZ Herald
11 hours ago
- NZ Herald
British and Irish Lions clincher over Australia the best test of season: Phil Gifford
Tick them off. A huge crowd? How does 90,307 sound? Some brilliant old-school attacking rugby from both teams? Yes. Telecast in 130 countries, it was a game to debunk the idea that rugby has lost its appeal to all but an increasingly shrinking group of aged diehards. And to round it off, there was a refereeing controversy that will run for as long as Wallabies fans can still watch television replays and hear the cries of disbelief from commentator Morgan Turinui. Good on you, Sir Clive After losing the first test in Brisbane 27-19, the Australian team copped it from all quarters. Their own media and public were bitterly disappointed, and before the second test, there was a cutting comment from former Lions and England coach Sir Clive Woodward. He suggested the Wallabies were 'boys playing against men'. Few would have dreamed the same Aussie players were about to rock the Lions. Suddenly, the September test with South Africa at Eden Park is not the only major All Blacks showdown Auckland fans should look forward to this year. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt carried the brunt of criticism after Brisbane, which was a harsh call considering the relatively average performance of Australian sides in Super Rugby. Given the likeable almost ego-free person Schmidt is, it was a pleasure to watch his team respond with such an outstanding performance. The Wallabies revival started in the forwards, with a scrum that was potent and lineouts that operated with impressive expertise. Add in the physicality of giant lock Will Skelton and captain Harry Wilson, and the base was rock solid. Rob Valetini was as dynamic as he has been all season for the Brumbies. He may well be the best blindside flanker currently playing test rugby. When even Schmidt is outraged Schmidt is virtually the anti-Eddie Jones when it comes to stoking controversy. But the Kiwi obviously felt so strongly about a decision in the 77th minute by Italian referee Andrea Piardi and his assistants, he didn't hold back after the game. The officials had taken no action about what Schmidt felt was head-to-neck contact between replacement Lions flanker Jac Morgan and Aussie forward Carlo Tizzano. Had Morgan been penalised, there would not have been time for Lions wing Hugo Keenan to score the 80th-minute match and series-winning try. Because it was Schmidt who made the comment Australia had been let down by the referee, you have to take it seriously. But having watched the chain of events involving Morgan and Tizzano numerous times, it does feel like a hairline decision that could have gone either way. A more picky referee or TMO might have called a penalty. It was Australia's bad luck that nobody in the officiating team in Melbourne was in a nit-picking mood. Man of the match As impressive as so many of the men in gold jerseys in front of him were, my man of the match was Australian halfback Jake Gordon. The 32-year-old veteran and Waratahs captain has a flinty edge to him that's matched by his ability to read the game. Typical of his vision was his try in the 29th minute, when he dummied past bewildered defenders to give his team an 18-5 lead (with Tom Lynagh's conversion) which looked like the basis for a victory. The match-up between Gordon and All Black Cam Roigard will be fascinating when they face off in the Rugby Championship. Jake Gordon of Australia dives to score a try during the second test between the Wallabies and the British and Irish Lions. Photo / Photosport A brilliant idea still working It's one of sport's ironies that despite rugby being an upper-class sport in England from its earliest days, tours by combined British Isles teams began in 1888, with a privately funded trip to Australia and New Zealand that had no official connection to fiercely amateur rugby unions in Britain. Over the centuries, the Lions have become one of the most successful and profitable inventions in sport, to the point where every player on the Australian tour will receive a payout of $210,000. Like most good ideas, the concept of having the best players from four international rugby sides combine to tour the other side of the world seems obvious once it has succeeded. The Lions are powerful enough to be a yardstick for any international team. They also give rugby fans in the Southern Hemisphere the chance to watch superstars from the Six Nations, whose home countries tour Downunder so rarely. Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
Netball: Third-time lucky Tactix win their first ANZ Premiership title
Tactix players as they celebrate winning the final. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Nothing pleased Tactix coach Donna Wilkins more than seeing her veteran players win their first ANZ Premiership title in the red dress in Auckland on Sunday night. The Mainland Tactix won netball's ANZ Premiership for the first time by stunning the Northern Mystics 58-46 in the grand final. For Jane Watson, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Erikana Pedersen, and Ellie Bird - they had suffered two heart-breaking grand final losses in 2020 and 2021. They came the closest in 2021, losing by just two goals to the Mystics. By then Karin Burger had joined the side and had well and truly become a stalwart of the team. Wilkins said the thought of winning an elusive title was what kept bringing some of the older players back. "It's pretty special… we don't know who's going to come back next year, our focus has been on finals. For some of those old heads and experienced ones that keep coming back because they want to win a championship, that's what I'm most proud of now they've got it," Wilkins said. Tactix captain Pedersen embraced Selby-Rickit straight after the game. "She just said that she felt relief - was her first emotion and it is a bit like that because I know we deserved to be here and deserved to win, we've worked so hard. "We had a lot of people doubting us, you know as they should, we came to Mystics territory, they were number one but we knew we could do it, we had the full belief, we've trained our butts off. The last few weeks in particular our intensity at trainings have been unreal… we've been coming out of them exhausted." Karin Burger and Jane Watson. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Tactix shooter Ellie Bird capped off a superb season by shooting 50 from her 53 attempts, and even pulled off two intercepts. Just two weeks prior, the Mystics had beaten the Tactix by 14 goals to win the minor premiership and advance straight to a home grand final. Everything was stacked against them - the Mystics have won every grand final they have appeared in, and six of the eight grand finals had been won by the team who claimed the minor premiership. But the Tactix showed a lot of fight when they beat the Pulse in the elimination final and Wilkins philosophy? "Finals netball is getting into it and giving yourself a chance." The former Silver Ferns defensive pairing of Burger and Watson picked up where they left off from that Pulse game. Ellie Bird has been a Tactix stalwart. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Watson unsettled Australian import shooter Donnell Wallam, who had not looked flustered all season. "They are big game players, they are experienced, they are used to playing against tall shooters. I told them they needed to get touches early and Jane did right from the get-go so it made it a little bit doubtful for them to just let rip and throw that ball in," Wilkins said. "They were doing one or two more passes before they would launch it in, whereas a couple of weeks ago it was just 'catch-boom', so we needed to nullify that connection between Peta [Toeava] and Donnell and I think we did a good job of that. "And because we are so clinical in looking after our own possession off our centre pass, even if teams hit a couple of two point shots, they don't make headway and we showed that on Monday night." Once again Wilkins stuck with her starting seven, apart from a brief period where Pedersen had to come off the court due to cramping. "Everything was going, my toes, my calves, my quads, my hips… but we knew we needed to prepare for a tough game, I think Teeps [Selby-Rickit] started cramping as well," Pedersen said. Despite the cloud hanging over the domestic competition, with Netball New Zealand still trying to pin down a broadcast deal for 2026, Wilkins said none of that was a distraction. "We had an opportunity to win a championship, that's been our focus, it's been about us." She was looking forward to taking the trophy to Christchurch. The Tactix and their National League predecessors, the Canterbury Flames, had not won a title since the introduction of franchise netball in 1998. The Flames played in four Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup finals but lost all four to the Southern Sting. "It's a long time coming, enjoy just being together as a team and enjoy the moment with our family and friends and we'll worry about next year next week," Wilkins said. The Tactix may look a little different next year. Bird is off to Australia and doesn't plan on coming back for another season. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Pedersen and Watson might call it a day. Selby-Rickit had one of her finest seasons and the 33-year-old may well be on the radar of an Australian team. Coach Robyn Broughton and captain Bernice Mene after Southern Sting beat Canterbury Flames in the 2001 Coca Cola Cup domestic final. Photo: Photosport To guide the Tactix to the title in her first season as head coach is a dream start to Wilkins' elite coaching career. Pedersen was full of praise for the former Silver Fern and Tall Fern. "Donna's been in our position, she knows what it's like to play in high pressure matches. She's very disciplined in the way that we play on attack but she's just brought this winning mentality, like even warm up games, she's is all about winning and I love that because I think that's what our Tactix team needed." Competitive, clinical with possession, and sticking with a starting seven are all traits associated with the late great Robyn Broughton, one of New Zealand's most successful netball coaches. Broughton became an icon of Southland netball during her long tenure with the Southern Sting, where she was head coach from 1998-2007, winning a record seven Coca Cola/National Bank Cup titles during that time. Wilkins played many seasons under Broughton, as did Tactix assistant coach Te Huinga Selby-Rickit. When Wilkins was asked what the legendary coach would have made of it, she shared that she treasures a photo of her old friend. "Well I actually brought [the photo of] Robbie with me, I normally talk to her before we play our home games but this week I thought I better take it with me and I think it might have helped. She's always there, God she coached me and Hu [Te Huinga Selby-Rickit] and a lot of the players, it's pretty special," an emotional Wilkins said. Donna Wilkins Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 The Mystics were denied a historic three-peat and were denied a chance to play their best netball. Despite easily beating the Tactix two weeks prior, Mystics coach Tia Winikerei said they knew the visitors were going to bring some venom. "When you get beaten like that and you're a quality side like they are, you come back fierce and you want to win. "Tactix came out very very strong and we didn't cope with that very well… we let them over power us, we actually just didn't execute what we should have in that first quarter and that hurt us for the rest of the game. "I didn't see any momentum shifts throughout the game and so the story of the first quarter was almost the story of the whole game." Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson said they were not blindsided - "They did exactly what we thought they were going to do." The Tactix have now become the fourth franchise to win the title, since the competition began in 2017. The Steel have won twice, and the Pulse and Mystics three times each. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
