Samoa’s Brian To’o celebrates after scoring the team’s first try during the Rugby League World Cup Men’s final between Australia and Samoa at Old Trafford stadium, in Manchester
Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP
Rugby league – Gardiner names Toa Samoa squad
Six players who featured in the NRL grand final have been named in the Toa Samoa squad to contest the Pacific Championships.
Four of these come from the premiership-winning Penrith Panthers – Stephen Crichton, Spencer Leniu, Izack Tago and Brian To’o.
Brisbane Broncos duo Keenan Palasia and Jesse Arthars were also named in new coach Ben Gardiner’s squad to take on Australia and New Zealand in the tournament starting later this month.
Eels skipper Junior Paulo was named captain.
Samoa will play its first game of the Pacific Championships against Australia in Townsville on October 14, before taking on New Zealand in Auckland the following week.
Photo: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Photo: Brett Phibbs / Photosport
Rugby league – Toa Samoa coach chasing RTS
Toa Samoa coach Ben Gardiner wants to court returning NRL superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to play for Samoa.
Tuivasa-Sheck is rejoining the Warriors for 2024 following a stint in rugby union.
He is eligible to represent both Samoa and the Kiwis, for whom he previously played 20 Tests between 2013 and 2019.
After Samoa assistant coach Frank Pritchard spoke of plans to pursue Tuivasa-Sheck back in August, Kiwis coach Michael Maguire told NRL.com he hoped to have the former Golden Boot and Dally M Medal winner be part of his plans going forward.
Sonatane Takulua of Tonga leads the performance of the Sipi Tau prior to the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Ireland and Tonga at Stade de la Beaujoire on September 16, 2023 in Nantes, France.
Photo: World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
Rugby World Cup – Tongan top tackler
Tonga’s Sione Talitui is the top tackler at the Rugby World Cup so far.
Flanker Talitui has made 60 tackles and is ahead of Chile’s Martin Sigren by eight tackles.
Statistics from World Rugby show there is no player from Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand in the top 10 tacklers so far at the world event.
Australia’s Tom Hooper is currently at number four with 48 tackles to his name.
Rugby World Cup – ex All Blacks on tough pool
Two former All Blacks playing for Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in France say playing against tier one teams at the event was a learning curve for the players and the team.
Malakai Fekitoa and Charles Piutau both agreed the pool was tough for them but the lessons would help the players and the team develop moving forward.
The two became eligible to play for Tonga through the World Rugby eligibility rule change and have been starters for the ‘Ikale Tahi in their last three pool matches.
The duo play professional rugby in Europe.
Tennis – Marianas get class bump
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has granted the Northern Marianas request to elevate its membership from Class C to Class B.
This means the CNMI joins Guam as the only Class B members in ITF in Pacific Oceania.
The elevation would allow the tennis governing body of the islands – the Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association – to potentially field a team to the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
The CNMI’s junior division would also benefit with local players able to compete in the world’s 14-and-under division.
Weightlifting – Camp in Samoa good for the economy
The Oceania Weightlifting Federation general secretary says Samoa hosting an Elite Weightlifters Camp will boost the economy.
Paul Coffa told the Samoa Observer 40 lifters from 22 countries with 10 international coaches from across the region were training at the Tuanaimato weightlifting gym.
Coffa said all of the lifters at the camp will be competing at the Pacific Games in Honiara and they’re also using this as a build-up for the Olympics.
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