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The OFC Men's Nations Cup, known as the OFC Nations Cup before the 2024 edition, is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), determining the continental champion of Oceania. The winning team became the champion of Oceania and until 2016 qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
The Fiji men's national football team is Fiji's national men's team and is controlled by the governing body of football in Fiji, the Fiji Football Association. The team plays most of their home games at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The Tahiti men's national football team represents French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football. The team consists of a selection of players from French Polynesia, not just Tahiti, and has competed in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) since 1990.
The New Caledonia men's national football team is the national team of New Caledonia and is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. Although they were only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have been participating in the OFC Nations Cup since its inception. They have been one of this relatively small region's strongest teams, finishing second in 2008 and 2012, and third in 1973 and 1980. They were the top ranked OFC nation at number 95 in September 2008, making them only the fourth country from the confederation to have reached the global top 100.
The Cook Islands men's national football team is the men's football team that represents the Cook Islands in international competition since 1971. It is governed by the Cook Islands Football Association which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and FIFA.
The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played numerous games to date, most against rivals Cook Islands and several against Niue. Other games have been played against Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. France played a match against Tahiti at the end of their 1979 tour and won 92–12. Plans to have annual "test" match series against Pacific island neighbours, New Caledonia have been put on hold, due to time, availability, finances, and coaching and refereeing resources. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française. Currently, players who have represented or played for the Tahiti national rugby team, are eligible to represent France. However, playing at a professional level can only enable this. At present there are several Tahitian professional rugby players abroad in France's Top 14 and Pro D2 professional competition.
The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground at Funafuti. The national team competes in the Pacific Games, and is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association, which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not a member of FIFA.
The Papua New Guinea women's national soccer team is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA). Its nickname is the Lakatois, which is a Motuan sailing vessel. Their home ground is the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, located in Port Moresby and their current manager is Peter Gunemba. Deslyn Siniu is the team's most capped player and top scorer.
The Pacific Oceania Davis Cup team represents the island nations in Oceania, excluding Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Oceania Tennis Federation.
Sport in Oceania varies from country to country. The most popular playing sport for men in Australia is Australian rules football, while for women is netball. Australian rules football is the most popular sport in terms of spectatorship and television ratings. Rugby union is the most popular sport among New Zealanders, while in Papua New Guinea rugby league is the most popular. Cricket is another popular sport throughout the Oceania region.
The Cook Islands compete as a part of netball's Oceania region. More than 1,000 players have registered to play the sport. Participation in the game grew during the 1970s. Much of this is possible because of the national governing organisation, the Cook Islands Netball Association which is a member of Oceania Netball Federation. Because of the level of organisation and the game's development, the country has participated at several international events including the Pacific Games, the Commonwealth Games, the World Games, the Oceania Netball Tournament, the World Youth Netball Championship, and the International Challenge Men's and Mixed Netball Tournament. A demonstration of the Cook Islands success can be found by looking at the national team: It is one of the top ranked in the world.
Netball in Oceania is generally regarded as a woman's sport. Women's sports in Oceania have traditionally had a very low profile. Despite this, netball is popular in Oceania, with its growth partly because of New Zealand encouraging the game and providing money for the training of coaches, umpires and other netball development needs. In New Zealand and in neighbouring Australia, netball is one of the most popular sports played by women.
David Muta is a Papua New Guinean footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captains Hekari United and the Papua New Guinea national team.
Netball at the Pacific Games has been an optional Pacific Games sport since 1963. Fiji have been the tournament's most successful team, winning seven gold medals. Cook Islands have won four gold medals. To date, only the Cook Islands and Fiji have won netball gold at the Pacific Games.
Tennis at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when it was included as one of ten sports at the First South Pacific Games held in Suva, Fiji.
Bong Kalo is a Ni-Vanuatu footballer who plays as a midfielder for Port Vila Premier League club, ABM Galaxy, and the Vanuatu national football team.
Kairangi Vano is a New Zealand born Cook Islands professional tennis player.
The Rugby League Pacific Championship is a rugby league tournament for national teams in Oceania. Its inaugural tournament was in 2019 as the "Oceania Cup".
Pacific Oceania is the name given to the group of small nations of the Southern, Southwestern, Central and Western Pacific Ocean that compete collectively as one country in both the Davis Cup (men) and Billie Jean King Cup (women) tennis tournaments. Pacific Oceania is governed by the Oceania Tennis Federation.
Benjamin Mata is a footballer cookian of argentine descent, who plays as a central defender for New Zealand Central League club Wellington Olympic, which he captains. Born in Cook Islands, he plays for the Cook Islands national team.
References
- ↑ "Brett Baudinet". Ultimate Tennis Statistics. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ↑ "Pacific Mini Games team named". Cook Islands News. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 "Making a racquet: A quest to help Pacific tennis thrive". Cook Islands News. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ↑ "Tourism Award win is testament to hard work". Cook Islands News. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ↑ Melina Etches (28 May 2019). "Tennis team off to Nations Cup". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ↑ "Major tennis award for Baudinet". Cook Islands News. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ↑ "A feather in Baudinet's cap". Cook Islands News. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ↑ "Baudinet makes tennis history". Cook Islands News. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
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