Tonga Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The Tonga Rugby Union are the governing body of the sport of rugby union
in Tonga
. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance
(PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. There is a rugby union playing population of less than 800 out of a total population of just 100,000.
They were formed in 1923 and joined the International Rugby Board
in 1987 when they were invited to play in the inaugural World Cup.
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...
in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance
Pacific 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) along with Fiji and Samoa. There is a rugby union playing population of less than 800 out of a total population of just 100,000.
They were formed in 1923 and joined the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
in 1987 when they were invited to play in the inaugural World Cup.