Pasifika Sipoti in brief for 16 June
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
Former All Blacks Pita Gus Sowakula will join the Flying Fijians squad after the two early tests against the Wallabies and Scotland next month.
Head coach Mick Byrne said the France-based loose forward will be eligible to play for Fiji from 6 July, the day Fiji meets the Wallabies in Sydney.
fijivillage.com
reported Byrne saying that Sowakula wants to be involved with Fiji heading into the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational is underway in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
PNG played first up but were beaten by the Australian indigenous team by eight wickets.
PNG had scored 108 for 6 from their 20 overs.
Sunday's second match, between Samoa and Vanuatu, was abandoned due to rain.
On Monday, Samoa is up against the Australian indigenous team while PNG faces Vanuatu.
The PNG Hunters suffered a narrow 18-16 defeat to the Sunshine Coast Falcons on Sunday in round 13 of the 2025 Hostplus Cup in Port Moresby.
The
Post Courier
reported the game was a tightly contested match and the Hunters fought hard but couldn't overcome an early deficit.
The Falcons Falcons led 16-12 lead into the break.
The Hunters remain in eighth spot with six wins from 12 games so far.
Two former students from the famous Queen Victoria School in Fiji will be on opposite sides of the field in Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific final.
Crusaders Sevu Reece and the Chiefs' Emoni Narawa both went through the Tailevu-based school that has dominated Fiji's secondary schools' first XV rugby competition, known as the Deans Trophy.
Both were in action for their teams during the semi-finals.
Narawa scored twice in the Chiefs' 37-17 win over the Brumbies, while Reece played a strong game to help the Crusaders beat the Blues 21-14.
Palau's national men's baseball team have won the 2025 Taiwan-Palau Baseball Exchange Tournament, an important stepping stone towards their Pacific Mini Games campaign.
The
Island Times
reports the Palau team won all their six matches.
Palau Major League and Palau Baseball Federation Chairman, Mlib Tmetuchl, says the event gave their players much-needed game time before they host the Games from 29 June.
The ambassador from the Republic of China (Taiwan) Embassy in Koror, Jessica Lee, says the Palau team recently returned from more than a month of training in Taiwan.
She says they are gold medal prospects at the upcoming Pacific Mini Games.
Weightlifting Fiji has finalised their nine-member team to the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
The
Fiji Sun
newspaper reports head coach Henry Elder has named his team to challenge for medals at the event, which officially opens on 29 June.
The Pacific's number one lifter in the men's 88 kilogram category, Nehemiah Elder, is in the team and is a top prospect for medals.
In May, he won three gold medals at the 2025 IWF World Youth Championships in Lima, Peru, in the men's 89kg youth division.
Others in the team include 2023 Pacific Games gold medallist Taniela Rainibogi.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rugby: Argentina stun British & Irish Lions in Dublin
Santiago Cordero of Argentina scores the match winning try against the British & Irish Lions in Dublin. Photo:Argentina have stunned the British & Irish Lions 28-24 in Dublin. The rare home fixture for the Lions ended with a desperate assault on the visitors' tryline, however it was not enough to deny a famous result for the Pumas. While it should be noted that it was the Lions' first time playing together as the best of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, they were still heavily favoured against a Pumas team missing several key players involved in the French Top 14 playoffs. The match started with a stunning three-and-a-half minute opening passage, that was halted a metre out from the Lions' line after some ambitious attack from the Pumas. Tomas Albornoz knocked over an easy penalty attempt after the Lions were caught offside, which was matched a few minutes later by a long range effort by Fin Smith. It didn't take long for the Pumas to score the first try of the match, a sweeping move finished off by winger Ignacio Mendy. By that stage the Lions had two tries disallowed by the TMO, first when hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lost the ball over the line and then when another knock on in the lead up spoiled Sione Tuipulotu diving over under the posts. However, there was no denying Bundee Aki in front of his home crowd after 20 minutes, the big centre stepping and powering his way over to give the Lions their first lead of the game. It was short-lived as the Pumas' then dominated the rest of the first half, Albornoz kicking another two penalties and then scoring a stunning try off a turnover from a Lions ruck in the Pumas' 22. Down 21-10 at halftime, the Lions were staring down the barrel of a humiliation but got back into gear when the forwards rumbled to the Pumas' line straight off the restart. Referee James Doleman had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try after persistent infringement by the defenders. The Lions then retook the lead thanks to another popular try to Irish lock Tadhg Beirne, but again that only lasted five minutes before the Pumas scored yet another incredible try. This time the ball was regathered off a bomb on halfway, then quick hands saw it toed ahead for Santiago Cordero to sprint after and beat the cover defence to dive on and score in the corner. Albornoz crucially converted to give the Pumas a four-point lead, which left it up to the Lions to score a try to win the game. Despite some adventurous play from the Lions, they simply couldn't crack a determined Pumas defence, led by an outstanding effort once again by loose forward Pablo Matera. He was backed up well with a monster game by number eight Joaquin Oviedo, while the inside back combination of Gonzalo Garcia and Albernoz was highly effective. It will also be a very satisfying feeling for coach Felipe Contepomi, who guided the side to victories over the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies last season. This is the second time the Pumas have muddied the waters. In 2005 they managed a 25-all draw before Sir Clive Woodward's Lions embarked on an ultimately disastrous tour of New Zealand. They play the first fixture of their nine-match tour of Australia in Perth against the Western Force on 28 June. Read how the game unfolded below.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Rugby live updates: British & Irish Lions v Argentina
Tomas Albornoz of Argentina is challenged by Maro Itoje of British & Irish Lions. Photo:The Lions starts their campaign with a rare home game against the Pumas of Argentina, before embarking on their highly anticipated tour of Australia in a fortnight.
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Time for Chiefs to put Super back into rugby
It might shock you to learn your columnist does not have a great deal of affection for the Crusaders. In fact, just the other day he was heard to mention if the Crusaders were matched against the Gestapo XV, he would be barracking for the Germans. While some rather misguided souls feel it is in their interests to support the Evil Empire in tonight's Super Rugby final in some sort of show of southern solidarity, The Last Word stands firm. Last season — when the Crusaders collapsed — was glorious. The world is a terrible enough place without seeing the men from the flatlands at the top of Super Rugby again. We must unite as one and ask the rugby gods to bless the Chiefs. It would be cruel if they were to lose a third straight final, and coach Clayton McMillan deserves to go out a winner. ... for the Chiefs One thing I will say for the Crusaders. They have done exceptionally well to bounce back from the horrors of 2024. Having a dozen All Blacks helps, of course. But the really interesting thing is that, if the Crusaders are to win this final (sigh), they will do it without a top-class first five, which goes against the common belief any champion team must have a star in the No10 jersey. No disrespect to emerging talent Rivez Reihana, but he is simply not that star. It could actually be two straight years for that situation. Harry Plummer was in great form for the Blues last year but, to be blunt, he is hardly going to be remembered as one of our best first fives. Perhaps not since the Bulls fielded Derick Hougaard in the 2007 final has a Super Rugby champion fielded a first five who was not world-class or close to it. Dan Carter (2008), Morne Steyn (2009-10), Quade Cooper (2011), Aaron Cruden (2012-13), Bernard Foley (2014), Lima Sopoaga (2015), Beauden Barrett (2016) and Richie Mo'unga (2017-23, otherwise known as the grim years) were all class acts. Off again Understandable but still a little disappointing the great Ardie Savea is off on another sabbatical and will miss Super Rugby in 2026. He was immensely influential for Moana Pasifika in his first season with his new team, and Super Rugby does not need its best players ducking off to Japan to make some cash. Not sure what the solution is, though. Grubbing away There were extraordinary scenes in the world of State of Origin this week. I am not talking about game two — though it was great to see Queensland win, thanks to a wonderful first half, not just because that is where my allegiances lie but because it sets up a decider, which is always nice. The biggest story was Queensland coach Billy Slater's emotional press conference after being referred to as a "grub" by former New South Wales prop and commentator Aaron Woods. Slater was almost trembling as he spoke at length about everything from a person's character to the "privileged position" held by journalists and broadcasters. He also shocked some people — and has since apologised — when he talked about how people coped with criticism and referred to former Queensland coach Paul Green perhaps being one of those who could not. Green died by suicide in 2022 and a post-mortem found he had been living with a severe case of the CTE brain disease. All this, seemingly, because of the word "grub". It seems so mild, yet it is basically the worst thing you can say about anyone in the rugby league world. Golden boy Safe travels, Nico Porteous. The Olympic champion has retired from elite-level freeskiing competition at the tender age of 23, having won it all and done it all. Most of us will never really understand the depths of courage and skill it takes to succeed in a sport like that, and Porteous will rightly be remembered as a New Zealand sporting great. Just a farce Not sure what is worse. Fifa bringing in a bloated, essentially pointless World Club Cup to further clog the football calendar. Or a system that leads to the New Zealand representative being Auckland City, an allegedly semi-professional team (bet their budget is comfortably higher than the Dunedin City Royals' or Wanaka's), who were smashed 10-0 by Bayern Munich. Bonkers all round. Old mate The sports story of the week has to be Kazuyoshi Miura. Miura — 58 years and 109 days old — made the first appearance of his 40th football season when he came off the bench for Atletico Suzuka in the Japanese fourth division. Miura, who has also played club football in Italy, Croatia, Portugal and Australia, scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan, the last of which came in 2000. Believe it or not, though, it seems he is not the oldest professional footballer in the world. The Guardian recently profiled Mykola Lykhovydov, running around in the Ukraine third tier at 59. Guinness World Records report the oldest player in the history of professional football was Ezzeldin Bahader, who appeared for an Egyptian club with the magnificent name of 6th of October SC in March 2020, aged 74. Astonishingly, Bahader scored from the penalty spot in that game, making him also the oldest scorer. And the fun fact of the week is 6th of October is a desert city in the Greater Cairo region, named for the start of the Yom Kippur War, the fourth Arab-Israeli War lasting 19 days.
