Pacific Islanders rugby union team
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Islanders rugby union team (usually known as just Pacific Islanders) is an international rugby union
team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji
, Samoa
and Tonga
. While Niue and the Cook Islands
are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations
competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004 (but not in 2006). The team does not play at Rugby World Cup
s, where each of the nations represents itself but the Pacific Islanders rugby union team tours every two years.
(PIRA) was formed in 2003. The coach is appointed by the Islanders board and in turn supported by the national coaches of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Its team, the Pacific Islanders, is drawn from the best Fijian, Tongan and Samoan players, and created far more interest on their inaugural 2004 tour than any of the three nations could have hoped to individually. Despite losing every game, 14-29 vs Australia
, 26-41 vs New Zealand
and 24-38 vs South Africa
, they were impressive in all three tests and played full strength teams, something that rarely happens when major nations play Tonga, Fiji or Samoa. The Islanders did, however, beat a Queensland XV 48-29 at Ballymore and NSW Waratahs 68-21 at Aussie Stadium.
and Sitiveni Sivivatu
(the latter the Islanders' leading scorer on that tour), went on to play for the All Blacks. During that tour, they were the last opponents of at their traditional home of Lansdowne Road
before its redevelopment into a modern all-seater stadium. The Pacific Islanders were beaten in all three matches.
, France
and Italy
. The team's manager was Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka
, former Prime Minister of Fiji
and author of two military coups in 1987. Though it began with two defeats, the tour ended with the Islanders' first ever win over European opposition, with a 25-17 victory in Italy.
competition or perhaps the Tri Nations. These hopes were dashed for the time being when the organisers of the Super 12 and the Tri Nations, SANZAR, opted to expand the Super 14 by adding one team each in Australia and South Africa and add an extra round of fixtures to the Tri Nations without adding any new teams. As of 2006, it appears they will be similar to the British and Irish Lions
but tour every two years instead of four. Touring once every four years would probably not generate enough revenue to transform the finances of Pacific rugby; the 2004 tour did make a modest profit, despite initial reports that the PIRA lost money.
A Super 14
spot would provide a career path for island players so they wouldn't have to take their skills abroad. However there would need to be a clear differential between that team and one that plays international tests. It would also have to be clear that their status is lower than that of the three national sides.
If they joined the Tri Nations this might prevent the occasional player playing for New Zealand
or Australia
, but it might also prevent players playing tests for the three nations and their profiles and fixtures would decrease even further. If they played in the World Cup, the coaches of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga would become little more than provincial coaches.
"The original concept was basically to provide an opportunity (to play) every two years. There were two aims, to get revenue to help in the running of the activities of the unions (and) to provide players with the opportunity to play against tier one sides.
But the International Rugby Board (IRB) changed the schedule for the Pacific Islands team to play every four years. Every four years won't generate the revenue needed to run our rugby." says SRU Chairman, Peter Schuster
.
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Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
, Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
and Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
. While Niue and the Cook Islands
Cook Islands Rugby Union
The Cook Islands Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Cook Islands. It was founded in 1989 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1995.The Cook Islands Rugby Union are also members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance....
are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations
Pacific Tri-Nations
The Pacific Tri-Nations is the traditional rugby union series between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. It was established in 1982 with the Samoan team, then known as Western Samoa, winning the tournament...
competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004 (but not in 2006). The team does not play at Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
s, where each of the nations represents itself but the Pacific Islanders rugby union team tours every two years.
Australia/New Zealand 2004
The Pacific Islands Rugby AlliancePacific Islands Rugby Alliance
The Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance was set up in 2002 as a basis of co-operation between the Fiji, Samoa and Tonga Rugby Unions. Niue and the Cook Islands are also members of the Alliance, and while not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they can and do supply members to the Pacific...
(PIRA) was formed in 2003. The coach is appointed by the Islanders board and in turn supported by the national coaches of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Its team, the Pacific Islanders, is drawn from the best Fijian, Tongan and Samoan players, and created far more interest on their inaugural 2004 tour than any of the three nations could have hoped to individually. Despite losing every game, 14-29 vs Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, 26-41 vs New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
and 24-38 vs South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, they were impressive in all three tests and played full strength teams, something that rarely happens when major nations play Tonga, Fiji or Samoa. The Islanders did, however, beat a Queensland XV 48-29 at Ballymore and NSW Waratahs 68-21 at Aussie Stadium.
Celtic Nations 2006
As the individual nations were primarily concerned with qualifying for the next World Cup the Islanders did not tour again until 2006. Scheduled matches against Italy and New Zealand in June 2006 did not take place, but they undertook a Northern Hemisphere tour in late 2006 with matches against Scotland, Wales and Ireland. PIRA had ruled in July 2006 that the team selected for that year's tour to Great Britain and Ireland would consist only of players who had previously played for Fiji, Manu Samoa or Tonga. This was intended to ensure that the Pacific Islanders team serves to develop players for the island nations only. Notably, two players on the 2004 tour, Sione LauakiSione Lauaki
Sione Tuitupu Lauaki is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. His brother, Epalahame Lauaki, is a 2nd rower for Hull in the Super League competition and also a New Zealand international.-Early career:...
and Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Sitiveni Waica Sivivatu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, playing on the position of a wing. He was largely successful in the 2005 Super 12 season playing for the Chiefs, and acquired a starting position in the All Blacks. He has scored 29 tries in 45 tests...
(the latter the Islanders' leading scorer on that tour), went on to play for the All Blacks. During that tour, they were the last opponents of at their traditional home of Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
before its redevelopment into a modern all-seater stadium. The Pacific Islanders were beaten in all three matches.
Europe 2008
In November 2008, the team toured Europe and played Tests against EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
. The team's manager was Major-General Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
, former Prime Minister of Fiji
Prime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
and author of two military coups in 1987. Though it began with two defeats, the tour ended with the Islanders' first ever win over European opposition, with a 25-17 victory in Italy.
Future status
There was much speculation about what role the Islanders would play in international rugby. Many hoped that they would be admitted into an expanded Super 12Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition or perhaps the Tri Nations. These hopes were dashed for the time being when the organisers of the Super 12 and the Tri Nations, SANZAR, opted to expand the Super 14 by adding one team each in Australia and South Africa and add an extra round of fixtures to the Tri Nations without adding any new teams. As of 2006, it appears they will be similar to the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
but tour every two years instead of four. Touring once every four years would probably not generate enough revenue to transform the finances of Pacific rugby; the 2004 tour did make a modest profit, despite initial reports that the PIRA lost money.
A Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
spot would provide a career path for island players so they wouldn't have to take their skills abroad. However there would need to be a clear differential between that team and one that plays international tests. It would also have to be clear that their status is lower than that of the three national sides.
If they joined the Tri Nations this might prevent the occasional player playing for New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
or Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, but it might also prevent players playing tests for the three nations and their profiles and fixtures would decrease even further. If they played in the World Cup, the coaches of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga would become little more than provincial coaches.
Samoa quits PIRA
The Samoa Rugby Union informed fellow Alliance members Fiji and Tonga that it has decided to quit the alliance because the merged Pacific Island team had failed to produce financial benefits sought by member unions."The original concept was basically to provide an opportunity (to play) every two years. There were two aims, to get revenue to help in the running of the activities of the unions (and) to provide players with the opportunity to play against tier one sides.
But the International Rugby Board (IRB) changed the schedule for the Pacific Islands team to play every four years. Every four years won't generate the revenue needed to run our rugby." says SRU Chairman, Peter Schuster
Peter Schuster
Peter K. Schuster is a renowned theoretical chemist, known for his work with the German Nobel Laureate Manfred Eigen in developing the quasispecies model...
.
2008 Squad
- Two further players were originally included in the squad Sireli BoboSireli BoboIsireli Bobo is a Fijian rugby union footballer, currently playing for the Paris club Racing Métro 92 in the Top 14 club competition in France.-Career:...
and Soane Tonga'uihaSoane Tonga'uihaSoane Tonga'uiha is a Tongan-born, New Zealand-educated, rugby union player. He plays for Northampton Saints and internationally for Tonga. His position of choice is at loose-head prop and sometimes tight-head prop...
. However Bobo became unavailable, and Tonga'uiha later withdrew from the tour.
2004
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2006
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2008
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See also
- Fiji national teamFiji national rugby union teamThe Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
- Manu SamoaSamoa national rugby union teamThe Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
- Tonga national teamTonga national rugby union teamThe Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
- Pacific Islands Rugby AlliancePacific Islands Rugby AllianceThe Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance was set up in 2002 as a basis of co-operation between the Fiji, Samoa and Tonga Rugby Unions. Niue and the Cook Islands are also members of the Alliance, and while not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they can and do supply members to the Pacific...
- Niue national rugby union teamNiue national rugby union teamThe Niue Island national rugby union team is the national team of the third tier rugby union playing nation of Niue Island. They first started playing in 1983 and have played just 10 games to date, four against the Cook Islands and three against Tahiti. Other games have been played against Fiji,...
- Cook Islands national rugby union teamCook Islands national rugby union teamThe Cook Islands is a third tier rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby in the early 1971. Thus far, the Cook Islands have not made an appearance at any of the World Cups.-History:...
- Super 14Super 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...