Prominent Pasifika community leader Pakilau Manase Lua has resigned from New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) Pasifika Advisory Group, saying it is “unacceptable” for there still to be no Pacific representation on the board.

Pakilau officially resigned from NZR’s PAG on Thursday night.

“They (NZR) made us a toothless advisory group with no power, no voice and no representation on the board. I said to them I am not happy and I don’t want to be just warming a seat,” he told RNZ Pacific.

He posted the reasons for his resignation today on Facebook. He said NZR called him, asking for the post to be removed, but he declined.

RNZ Pacific has contacted NZR and its various board members for comment. We are yet to receive a response.

However, in a statement to Pacific Media Network, the union said: “NZR acknowledges the huge contribution of Pasifika on the field and recognises that this is not reflected in equitable representation across non-playing roles, including governance.”

“NZR is currently supporting its voting members through a process of reform which will see a modern governance model for rugby that reflects greater diversity across gender, background and ethnicity.

“The NZR Board is committed to seeing culturally diverse voices at all levels of this governance model.

“NZR has recognised Pasifika as a priority area for the organisation and launched a Pasifika Strategy in November 2023 to enable, embrace and empower positive outcomes for Pasifika in rugby. The implementation of a year one action plan is already underway and reflects a long-term commitment.”

‘The straw that broke the camel’s back’
Pakilau told RNZ Pacific his resignation “was not an overreaction” but a response that “was three years in the making”.

He said the PAG committee sent a letter to the NZR Board about their concerns.

“They never got back to us” and “that was the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

He said that NZR “continues to disrespect the contribution of Pacific Islanders to rugby in New Zealand by not having them in management or in the board, despite Pacific Islanders contributing almost 40 percent of players to the New Zealand All Blacks, Black Ferns and sevens teams”.

“We are only used when needed, seen as performing monkeys for colonial institutions. They take us for granted. Good PR but actually there is nothing there.”

Last year, the NZR launched its Pasifika Rugby Strategy, which aims to develop Pacific Islanders in the local rugby circle to take up leadership roles in coaching, refereeing, management and boards.

NZR chair Dame Patsy Reddy said then that the organisation was focused on enhancing environments that were prepared to embrace Pasifika and their values.

‘Pasifika people bleed on the rugby field’
But Lua said despite the strategy he believed Pasifika were still “not being heard”.

“We deserve a seat at the table. Those days of being seat warmers are over.

“They seem to be ignoring [the Pasifika Rugby Strategy]. They want to set up an independent board with no representation from the grassroots, no representation from Pasifika, despite our massive contributions and disrespecting the manna of our Tausoa Fa’atasi strategy.

“They don’t bother to respect the fact that our Pasifika people bleed on the rugby field but then don’t have representation on the Board.”

He said he has been on the PAG for three years.

“We have been saying from day one that we need to make sure the Pacific Island voices are heard.”

He said it was an insult to the Pacific Island community that NZR still did not recognise those who had the experience, skills and the knowledge to sit on boards here in New Zealand.

Pakilau said there were enough experienced Pasifika Islanders in New Zealand to take up a position on the board and perform as expected.

“It’s all about money. They are there already controlling hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said.

The NZR Pacific Advisory Group includes Eric Nima Nabalagi, Fonoti Seti Talamaivao, Savae La’auli Sir Michael Jones, Seiuli Fiao’o Fa’amausili and Saveatama Eroni Clarke.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Argentinian winger Emiliano Boffelli scored all his team’s points as they defeated Manu Samoa 19-10 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, France, yesterday in a Rugby World Cup pool D match.

That gave the Pumas their first win at the tournament and keeps their hopes alive of claiming a quarterfinal berth, with two matches against Chile and Japan on the line.

Manu Samoa head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua said he regretted the way they lost the match, after having had their own fair share of opportunities and not executing their chances well.

Rain fell as the game started and the slippery ball became a challenge to control.

Missed opportunities gave Manu Samoa away in the first half as Argentina led 13-3 at halftime.

Christian Leali’ifano, trusted for his goal-kicking accuracy, missed two kickable penalties which could have secured the Samoans six extra points in the half.

Then after having put the Pumas scrum under pressure, halfback Jonathan Tumataene knocked on metres from the Pumas’ tryline in what could have turned the momentum their way, close to halftime.

Pumas feed off Samoan mistakes
Argentina fed off the Samoans’ mistakes and Boffelli had scored all his team’s 13 points in the first half — a try, conversion and a penalty.

Vaovasamanaia said they missed their chance of getting the win, but the Pumas adapted well to the atmosphere.

“We made too many mistakes and we didn’t adapt to the conditions, particularly at the start of the game,” he said.

“I thought Argentina executed their gameplan really well and we weren’t able to adapt. We knew that with [Emiliano] Boffelli in their team that they could slot them from anywhere and getting that yellow card early on didn’t help us.”

Vaovasamanaia said the momentum towards the end of the game was exciting but they ran out of time.

“There’s always a possibility when there’s time on the clock, unfortunately for us we ran out of time. We weren’t able to get our game going, but I’m really proud of the boys’ efforts.”

A few opportunities
He added the team created a few opportunities but did not finish that off.

“If we had finished off some of those moves, it would have become a very different game.”

Captain for the day, Chris Vui, said it was a tough clash, but they also had their chances which they did not use to their advantage.

“In this sort of game, you need to execute and take the opportunities, and for us, we probably did not take it,” he said.

“Extremely proud of the boys today. That was an awesome game. I thought both teams played that flair rugby that rugby’s missing at the moment.

“There was huge collisions. Personally, I really enjoyed it.”

He said they missed the opportunity to swing the game their way towards the first half.

A huge opportunity
“That opportunity was huge for us. That could have changed the momentum of the game,” he said.

“We probably needed to change that momentum back to us and we didn’t execute. Games like these, you only ever get one or two chances, and that was one of them.

“Next week, we’re going to look at it, and we’re going to be better for it.”

Samoa will focus on Japan, who they play next weekend.

One of the key areas they will have to work on is keeping the ball in hand, which Vaovasamanaia said is something they have been working on, even after their win over Chile two weekends ago.

“It is something we addressed last week and we will need to address that again, nailing those core roles in crucial moments. The more time we spend being put under those types of pressure will help us improve,” he added.

Samoa pressured early
Samoa was under pressure early in the game after fullback Duncan Paia’aua was yellow-carded for what referee Nic Berry of Australia was a dangerous tackle after the Pumas fullback Juan Martin Gonzales had jumped high to take the ball and landed with his head towards the ground.

Berry claimed that Paia’aua had interfered with Gonzales, thus the penalty.

The Pumas made use of the opportunity as Samoa was one man down and Boffelli stepped back in to score a try. He kicked the conversion for his team to lead 7-0.

Manu Samoa won a penalty inside the Pumas half minutes later but Leali’ifano swung the ball wide.

Boffelli extended his team’s lead to 10-0 with another successful attempt before Leali’ifano raised the flags with his attempt that went off the crossbar, reducing the scoreline to 10-3.

Then Boffelli added another penalty as the Pumas led 13-3 at the breather.

Showing good cohesion in the lineouts, the Pumas started dominating with their driving mauls as the second spell resumed.

Boffelli added another penalty before the Samoans turned the fire on.

With time ticking away and a possible bonus points on offer the Samoans went on attack again.

Flanker Fritz Lee knocked on as they countered and a possible try went begging.

Replacement Sama Malolo then dived over in a forward rush after a tap penalty five metres from the Aregentinian tryline.

Alai D’Angelo Leuila converted and the Samoans were back in the game at 16-10.

Boffelli then stepped up to have the last say of the game when he fielded another successful penalty to give the Pumas the 19-10 victory.

Game statistics
Argentina enjoyed the possession and territory more on attack.

They had 62 percent of possession in the game and 59 percent of the territory.

The Pumas also carried the ball more, covering 602 metres compared to Samoa’s 239.

In the set-pieces, Argentina dominated too winning 94 rucks and mauls against Manu Samoa’s tally of 49.

In defence, Samoa managed to make 141 tackles, which meant they were under pressure more while the Pumas were only required to make 77 tackles.

Samoa lost three lineout throws but managed to match the Pumas in the scrums.

Both teams had high penalty counts, with Samoa giving away 13 and Argentina 11.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Lekima Tagitagivalu knows too well how the French are rugby crazy and wasn’t surprised about the support shown to the Flying Fijians in last weekend’s Rugby World Cup match against Australia.

Playing for Pau in the Top 14 competition, the 27-year-old flanker is a favourite in the French competition.

He is one of several Fijian players in the Flying Fijians squad who plays in France. Like in the match against Wales, the French turned out in numbers to support their second favourite team — Fiji.

Their cheers and those of Fijians who travelled from around the world to the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint Etienne on Monday, rang through the stadium.

“That [French support] means a lot to us,” said the man from Marou, Naviti, in Yasawa.

“A lot of the boys play here in France. It means so much knowing that they are behind us too. It’s more like a home game for us.”

He said the win against Australia would rejuvenate spirits in the team camp for the rest of their RWC campaign — matches against Georgia and Portugal.

“I’m really proud of the boys for the performance and being able to create a part of Fiji rugby’s history.

“It was a tough game and we stuck in there for the whole 80 minutes,” said Tagitagivalu, adding that the win meant a lot to their World Cup campaign.

“Georgia is next and we won’t take any team lightly because they have all been preparing well for this world cup. We’ll take one game at a time, learn from our mistakes and move on to the next mission.

“I would like to dedicate this win to my family, to all the families in Fiji and all our supporters around the world who have been messaging us. We’ve been receiving all videos.”

Fiji plays against Georgia on October 1.

Rodney Duthie is a Fiji Times journalist. republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Flying Fijians won its Rugby World Cup Pool C match against Australia 22-15 in Saint Etienne with the team’s fourth choice kicker, Simione Kuruvoli, leading them.

And the win came after 69 long years since Fiji last defeated the Wallabies in 1954.

Kuruvoli, who is ranked behind the injured Caleb Muntz, Teti Tela and Frank Lomani as a kicker, started the game at halfback and was given the goal-kicking duties.

He did not disappoint and his personal tally of 14 points ensured the Fijians managed to outpoint the Wallabies in the end, in a match that kept the 41,294 fans at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on their toes.

Head coach Simon Raiwalui called Kuruvoli into the starting line-up ahead of Lomani and the 24-year-old stamped his mark.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to start and the trust that was given to me by the coach and team management,” he said.

“It was a tense game and I just focused on my kicks to make sure that we were able to get the points needed.”

Fiji dominated
Fiji dominated the game — and in all facets of the game.

It was something similar to what they did against Wales in Bordeaux two Sundays ago.

The only difference is this time they were able to convert the statistical advantage into winning points in the end.

Kickable options saw Kuruvoli stepping up to the mark, claiming crucial points.

Coach Raiwalui said it was a great win and thanked the boys for sticking to the job at hand.

“We focused on Australia this week and the boys executed the game plan very well,” he said.

“Great to have the win but we are still building and will need to focus on the next one after this.

“Mostly proud of the boys. It’s not just for today, it’s a combination of work over time.

Two hard games next
“Two very hard games coming up. Let’s enjoy this win, will review tonight. I think a lot of the boys will be sore but super proud.”

Captain Waisea Nayacalevu thanked the players and fans for their support.

“Great team effort and the fans were fantastic,” he said. “Proud of the boys for the effort.”

The win means Fiji and Australia are tied in pool C with six points each.

Fiji will need to win both their remaining matches against Georgia and Portugal and hope that the Wallabies fall against Wales in their crunch match.

But that aside, the win over the Australians was celebrated by those who turned up, including Fijians who had flown in from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and across Europe.

French fans who turned up to watch the game backed Fiji as they could be heard cheering for Fiji on the grandstand and they booed the Australians every time they were penalised in the match.

Australian Fijians say it was tough
The Australians had five Fijians in their line-up, with two of them, wingers Mark Waqanitawase and Suliasi Vunivalu, scoring their tries.

Samu Kerevi, Rob Valetini and Marika Koroibete were strong in defence and made some good runs but they were nullified by their fellow Fijians, who hit them with some bone-crunching tackles.

Vunivalu congratulated Fiji and said they were consistent.

“They started well and kept that throughout,” he said.

“We tried to come back, but they were very strong.”

Koroibete said it was a physical battle.

“They were on from the start to the end, we tried to keep up with them from the start but they were good,” he said.

“As a team we did not work upfront enough to counter that physicality.”

He said they will now have to focus on Wales.

Best Fiji team ever – Serevi
Sevens King Waisale Serevi, who was in the crowd supporting Fiji, said the Flying Fijians team in France was the best ever.

“I think it is the best team ever to play at the World Cup because we are going up and we have beaten Australia now,” he said.

“I believe that maybe we have won a game in the World Cup and going to the quarter-final, we still have two more games and the way we played today showed they can compete on this level.

“The Australia team are a good team, but I think the [Fiji] boys were better today.

“They played to the plan, they played to the strengths of the game they wanted to play. They did everything right and they did compete at the breakdown which is not really the Fijian way of playing rugby.

“I believe with the team that we have we can go through to the quarter-final and we have every opportunity to get to the semi-final.”

First half lead set the pace
Fiji led at halftime 12-8 with halfback Kuruvoli kicking all of Fiji’s points through the boots.

Australia managed a try to Waqanitawase, after the Wallabies had taken a quick lineout throw, with Samu Kerevi running through and passing on to Waqanitawase who dived over.

Fullback Ben Donaldson missed the conversion, but he had opened the scoring in the game with an earlier penalty close to the posts.

Australia was able to defend well against the Fijians in the first 40 minutes, keeping their opponents at bay inside their own half.

Fiji put together several phases and attacks in the first spell, with Kuruvoli masterminding their moves.

Josua Tuisova, Semi Radradra and captain Nayacalevu were all busy on attack while the forwards dominated in the ruck and scrum situations.

A telling factor Fiji displayed was their strong forward plays, holding their own in the scrums and lineouts as well.

But Australia challenged their throw-ins towards the end of the first spell and won two successive Fijian throw-ins near their own line.

Good start in second spell
The Fijians got straight back into the game in the second spell and Man of the Match, winger Tuisova scored out wide after he collected a bouncing ball from a Kuruvoli place kick off the base of a ruck.

They then missed a penalty attempt from Lomani and Tuisova swung the ball wide and out the sideline as they had an opportunity to run the ball with four players sitting outside him.

It was tit-for-tat after that as both teams tried to put phases together.

A penalty midway inside the Wallabies side of the field gave Lomani another opportunity to extend their lead and he made it 22-8 from that kick.

Australian fullback Ben Donaldson converted Vunivalu’s try and closed the gap to 22-15.

Fiji hung on with some great steals in ruck-ball situations to end the game with the famous win, even though Lomani’s last kick sailed wide.

Scorecard:
Fiji 22 – Tries: Josua Tuisova (43′); Conv: Simione Kuruvoli (44′); Pens: Simione Kuruvoli (12′, 21′, 27′, 33′); Frank Lomani (66′).

Australia 15 – Tries: Mark Nawaqanitawase (23′), Suli Vunivalu (68′); Conv: Ben Donaldson (70′); Pens: Ben Donaldson (3′).

Other Pacific results:
Results in other Pacific matches at the World Cup were mixed with Manu Samoa defeating newcomers Chile 43-10 at Bordeaux in pool D while Tongan coach Toutai Kefu admitted his Ikale Tahi side had been outclassed 59-16 by top-ranked Ireland at Nantes in pool B.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Flying Fijians were defeated by World Rugby Cup hosts France 34-17 in a pre-tournament build-up test in Nantes, France, yesterday.

The Semi Radradra-captained side scored a try in the first spell through hooker Tevita Ikanivere while flyhalf Caleb Muntz added a conversion and penalty as Fiji trailed the second-string French team 21-10 at the break.

Radradra, who has been signed up for the French club Lyon, scored Fiji’s lone try of the second spell as France got points on the board through a try and a couple of penalties after the break.

“It was a tough battle out there for our team, Radradra said after the match.

“We knew they would come out strong. We made a few mistakes which put the home side on the front foot.”

Planet Rugby commented: “After the previous matches of the weekend the visit of Fiji to France must have put a smile on the faces of all who watched the game as both teams produced a little crackerjack of a match that saw Les Bleus successfully explore their depth and the Flying Fijians demonstrate they are an outstanding team with ball in hand.”

Fiji will now play England at Twickenham next Sunday in their last warm-up match before the Rugby World Cup opener against Wales on September 11.

In other pre-Rugby World Cup matches at the weekend, Ireland defeated England 29-10 while South Africa thrashed Wales 52-16.

Georgia beat the United States 22-7 and Italy thrashed Romania 57-7.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The Drua tackle the Highlanders in Dunedin today and Pasifika face the Hurricanes at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, later on in the day.

Both teams are coming off defeats last weekend, albeit in very different ways.

Drua needs focus to win
Keeping the focus and playing basics rugby right are keys to the Drua’s campaign if they want to contest the play-offs.

That plus discipline could be the difference of a win or loss against the Highlanders, who are also fighting to keep their hopes alive.

Head coach Mick Byrne lamented the lack of focus in the first half against the Reds in Brisbane last Sunday, where they lost 27-24.

“I am disappointed we did not play 80 minutes in that game,” he said.

“We got back to work in the second half. Would have been nice to have been like that for 80 minutes.”

He said the players needed to also learn when to keep the ball and set up play, instead of throwing it around too much.

“I think we probably threw the ball away in some close quarters, especially down the sidelines. We just need to carry into those areas, be strong at the ruck and carry hard again,” he said.

“We were a little bit loose at times.”

Captain Meli Derenalagi said they will need to focus from the start until the final whistle if they are to improve on their two wins from four games so far.

“We lacked focus in the first half and that let us down,” he said of last weekend’s close loss.

This week he and the players have been working on those areas and more, including first-up defence and making use of possessions that comes their way.

Moana Pasifika coach seeks ‘full performance’
Although not disappointed with last week’s showing against the Brumbies where Moana Pasifika lost 62-36, head coach Aaron Mauger, like his Drua counterpart, wants to see a full performance against the Hurricanes tomorrow.

“We played good for 60 minutes and obviously dropped away towards the end,” Mauger said.

“We highlighted what we are doing well, and we showed we can go toe-to-toe with any other team in the competition.

“We still have gaps around the 80-minute performance but there were lots of positives there.”

He doesn’t expect it to get any easier against the Hurricanes on their return to Mt Smart, the scene of last year’s 24-19 win for Moana Pasifika against the same opposition.

“The Hurricanes are playing good rugby, they are a very physical and abrasive team,” Mauger said.

“So that has been the focus this week especially looking at the collision and securing the ball.

“We expect Hurricanes to be good there — Ardie Savea, Du Plessis Kirifi and James Blackwell are all very good over the ball and so we going to have to be sharp.”

Mauger said it was nice to return to the scene of last year’s win, but they are totally focused on the task in hand.

“It’s always a pleasure to play at home especially in front of our home fans. Last year was pretty magical moment for us but they are a quality side and will have respect for us and we will respect them too,” he said.

Mauger said he was disappointed Moana Pasifika had not picked up a win in the four rounds to date.

“I have to say I’m concerned that we haven’t picked up a win because we had winnable games against the Force and the Drua, and they were two close losses,” Mauger lamented.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

The tiny Pacific territory of Wallis and Futuna can, per capita, surely lay claim to be test rugby’s hottest talent nursery.

Three players who trace their heritage to Wallis and Futuna — a French “overseas collectivity” located north-west of Fiji and west of Samoa — are in France’s Six Nations squad.

Hooker Peato Mauvaka — a two-try hero in France’s 40-25 win over the All Blacks last November and lock Romain Taofifénua have been joined in Fabien Galthie’s squad by young centre Yoram Moefana, Taofifénua’s second cousin.

Both Mauvaka and Moefana played in France’s hard-won 13-9 victory over Wales in Cardiff last night – a victory that keeps alive their hopes of a first grand slam and Six Nations title in a decade.

Lock Taofifénua would probably also have played if he had not contracted covid-19.

When Mauvaka and Taofifénua came off the bench to join Moefana in the recent win over Ireland, Wallis and Futuna effectively supplied 20 per cent of the France XV. This was repeated in the victory over Scotland.

Wallisians and Futunans have the right to live anywhere in France, so automatically qualify for French national sporting teams.

Born in New Caledonia
The list of French rugby internationals includes some players born in France to parents from Wallis and Futuna, or born and raised in New Caledonia where around 30,000 Wallisians and Futunans live.

Outside back Yann David, who still plays for Top 14 club Bayonne, had four tests in 2008. He was born in Lyon in mainland France, but his mother, Monika Fiafialoto, a former French javelin champion, is Wallisian.

Towering Noumea-born lock Sébastien Vahaamahina had 46 test caps between 2012 and 2019. Vahaamahina, who scored his first try in the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, retired from test rugby after getting sent off for elbowing a Welsh rival in the head in that 2019 defeat.

Still only 30, he continues to play in the Top 14 for Clermont.

Vahaamahina was often joined in France’s second row engine room by Romain Taofifénua, whose father, Willy was one of the first players from Wallis and Futuna to make a mark on the French club scene.

Romain — born in Mont-de-Marsan in France and raised in Limoges — made his test debut in 2012. The 31-year-old has since garnered 32 caps.

Brother Sébastien, 30, propped France’s scrum in two tests in 2017. The Taofifénua twosome, and their cousin Vahaamahina played together in a 23-23 draw with Japan that year.

Rugby World Cup squad
Vahaamahina and Mauvaka were joined in France’s 2019 Rugby World Cup squad by another player with Wallis and Futuna heritage, Toulon hooker Christopher Tolofua, another cousin of the Taofifénuas, who has seven caps since his debut at 18 in 2012.

Tolofua’s younger brother, Selevasio, a No 8, has won European Champions Cup and French Top 14 honours with Toulouse, alongside Mauvaka and ex-All Blacks great Jerome Kaino. He won his first and so far only test cap at No 8 in the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup final defeat to England at Twickenham, playing with Mauvaka and Yoram Moefana.

So fielding players with Wallis and Futuna lineage is nothing new for Les Bleus, but Moefana’s emergence has served to heighten the link.

The 21-year-old — who has played little more than 30 Top 14 games for Bordeaux-Bègles – has beaten the more experienced Fiji-born Virimi Vakatawa for the berth in midfield alongside the talented Gaël Fickou. In the last two games, against Scotland and Wales, he ha played on the wing.

Moefana was reportedly born on Futuna but moved to France at 13 to live in Limoges with a professional rugby career as his goal. He lived in France’s porcelain industry capital with his uncle, Tapu Falatea, 33, now a prop for Agen in France’s second tier.

Young Moefana was soon recruited by the Colomiers academy and made his Pro D2 debut with the club in 2018.

After just six games, he was signed in 2019 by Bordeaux-Bègles, where he plays alongside test teammates Cameron Woki, Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu and Tonga’s former Chiefs prop Ben Tamiefuna.

Represented France Under-20s
Moefana represented France at under-20 level before becoming the nation’s first test player born in the 21st century when he made his debut, aged 20, against Italy in November 2020.

Judging by his assured display against Ireland’s highly-rated midfielders Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose, Moefana could be in for a long stay in the blue jersey.

Galthie told French media before the start of the Six Nations that Moefana had been on his radar since February 2020 while “he was with the U20s, and he worked with us at senior training camps.

“We’ve seen him progress with Bordeaux and when we had to enlarge the group for the [2020] Autumn Nations Cup, we didn’t hesitate to start him because he was already impressive in training. His potential was obvious then, and he performed well in the final against England.”

Moefana was supposed to tour Australia in 2021, but got injured and spent a long spell on the sidelines.

Galthie had no hesitation hurling the youngster into the Six Nations, saying: “Technically, physically and psychologically, without forgetting his talent, he is ready to meet all the requirements of this game.”

Bordeaux-Bègles coach Christophe Urios has praised Moefana as “an easy player to manage” and “always reliable”, saying the young Christian is “as reserved, even shy, in life as he is aggressive on the field”.

‘Not an ambassador yet’
A modest Moefana told French media that while it was “always nice to find guys who come from New Caledonia, Wallis or Futuna in the French team” he did not see himself as “an ambassador yet”.

“I think more of Romain [Taofifénua] because he’s been there for a long time. For young people, I think of Peato [Mauvaka] with his club and selection experience. I find out.”

Moefana’s father, Taofifenua Falatea, had earlier ventured to France to play for Niort, but injury stalled his career. Today, he is president of the Union Rugby Club de Dumbéa (URCD) club in Dumbéa, near Noumea, which is formally linked to the Toulouse club.

Mauvaka, is the URCD club’s most famous product, playing in Toulouse’s winning titles-winning team last season before his brace against the All Blacks.

“I’m not going to hide it from you, we tend to support the All Blacks and his dad has always been a fan of the All Blacks,” Falatea told France’s La Croix newspaper last December. “Playing the All Blacks is already something for him, but scoring tries for [France] and being man of the match is great. Frankly, I think he made history.”

Mauvaka — first spotted by Toulouse as a 14-year-old centre — made his test debut in 2019 and now has 12 caps. He has carved a niche as an impact player off the bench, replacing clubmate Julien Marchand at hooker.

Moefana, Mauvaka and Taofifénua — all in line now to play for France against England in the championship decider Paris next weekend — may not be the last proud Wallisians and Futunans to line up at Stade de France to the strains of La Marseillaise.

Donovan Taofifénua, Romain’s 22-year-old cousin and an Under-20 World Cup winner with France, plays in Paris for Racing 92 and has already been called up to France senior squads.

According to the La Croix article, people of Wallis and Futuna heritage comprise 10 percent of New Caledonia’s population, but represent 80 percent of the Union Rugby Club de Dumbéa membership.

The production line should roll on.

Wallis and Futuna at a glance

• Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity known, officially, as the Territory of the Islands of Wallis and Futuna, or Territoire des îles Wallis-et-Futuna.
• Located in the Pacific Ocean, 280km north-west of Fiji and 370km east of Samoa.
• Has three main islands (Wallis, Futuna and Alofi) and 20 small islets.
• The resident population is around 12,000, with another 30,000 people of Wallis and Futuna descent living in New Caledonia.
• Its people are Polynesian, but, as French citizens, have an automatic right to live anywhere in France.

Tony Smith is a journalist for Stuff. Sources for this article include La Croix, Rugby World, Sud-Ouest newspaper, Wikipedia and New Zealand and Australian government websites. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz