- Rugby union in Tonga
Sport overview
country = Tonga
sport = rugby union
imagesize =
caption =
union = Tonga Rugby Football Union
nickname = Ikale Tahi
first =
registered = 10,236 (total) 5,516 (adult)
clubs =
match =
national1 =Rugby World Cup
national2 =Pacific Nations Cup
national3 =Rugby World Cup Sevens
national4 =IRB Sevens World Series
club1 =Pacific Rugby Cup
club2 =Datec Cup Provincial Championship
countryRugby union is the national sport of
Tonga . Tonga are considered to be a tier 2 rugby nation by theInternational Rugby Board .History
Rugby was brought to the region in the early 20th Century by sailors and missionaries and the
Tonga Rugby Football Union was formed in late 1923.Tonga beat Fiji 9-6 in their first test in 1924 played in the capital NukuOkinaalofa.
Governing body
Rugby union is governed by the
Tonga Rugby Football Union who are also members of thePacific Islands Rugby Alliance .Tonga were awarded 'second tier' status by the
International Rugby Board which entitles them to funding from the IRB.Popularity
Rugby union is the national sport of
Tonga and as in the rest ofPolynesia is a way of life. Though Tongans are passionate rugby followers, the small population base means that internationally, Tongan rugby continually struggles.The
International Rugby Board (IRB) estimates that Tonga has a total of 800 registered senior players and twice as many juniors.Rugby is popular in the nation's schools and students from schools such as
Tonga College andTupou College , are regularly offered scholarships from New Zealand, Australia andJapan .Jonah Lomu , Viliami (William) 'Ofahengaue,Toutai Kefu ,Finau Maka ,Charles Riechelmann andPita Alatini and George Smith are all of Tongan descent.The money coming back from Tongan players playing rugby abroad is Tonga's second biggest export after sugar.
Competitions
Datec Cup Provincial Championship
The is the second highest level of competition within
Tonga n rugby union and is a stepping stone for local players into international rugby.Pacific Rugby Cup
The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup started in 2006 and involves representative teams from the three Pacific rugby unions, Tonga along with Samoa and Fiji. Tonga has two sides in the tournament,
Tau'uta Reds andTautahi Gold . The aim of the tournamen is to improve the quality of rugby in the Pacific Islands.Representative teams
National
The national team (Ikale Tahi) has performed quite well on the international stage. Tonga has competed at four
Rugby World Cup s, the first being in 1987, and its best result thus far was in 1995 when it reached the first round.Tonga also competes in the
Pacific Tri-Nations and theIRB Pacific 5 Nations . At club level, there are theDatec Cup Provincial Championship and thePacific Rugby Cup . Rugby union is governed by theTonga Rugby Football Union , which is also a member of thePacific Islands Rugby Alliance . Tonga contributes to thePacific Islanders rugby union team .Tonga performs the
Kailao (Sipi Tau) before its matches.Pacific Tri-Nations
The Pacific Tri-Nations is the series between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. It has been played since 1982.
IRB Pacific 5 Nations
The IRB Pacific 5 Nations is a competition held between five
Pacific rim sides; Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and theJunior All Blacks (New Zealand's second XV).National (sevens)
ee also
*
Culture of Tonga External links
* [http://www.planet-tonga.com/ikaletahi/index.php Official site of TRFU]
* [http://www.planet-rugby.com/Teams/Tonga/index.shtml Tongan rugby union news from Planet Rugby]
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