First Nations & Pasifika XV

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First Nations & Pasifika XV
Full nameFirst Nations & Pasifika XV
Union Australian Rugby Union
Founded2025;0 years ago (2025)
Coach(es) Toutai Kefu (2025)

First Nations & Pasifika XV is a newly formed Australian-based rugby union team set to take on the British & Irish Lions during their 2025 tour of Australia. [1] The team would be made up of players with Indigenous Australian or Pacific Islander origin. [2]

Contents

Background

Originally, the British and Irish Lions were scheduled to play nine matches on their tour of Australia. This included the Melbourne Rebels, whom went into administration in January 2024 and were dropped from the tour schedule as a result. [3] The First Nations & Pasifika XV were formed by Rugby Australia to replace the disbanded Melbourne Rebels side, to maintain a 9-match tour for the Lions. [2] The team was to be made up of indigenous Australian and Pacific Islands heritage players, with the match scheduled to take place on 22 July 2025 at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne. It was aimed that the team would be made up of New Zealand All Blacks internationals that were playing abroad, and ineligible otherwise to play international rugby for the All Blacks. [2]

On 19 May, former Wallabies forward and Tonga head coach Toutai Kefu was named head coach, [4] whilst on 26 May, Glen Ella, Sekope Kepu, Simon Raiwalui and Tana Umaga were named assistants. [5] On 26 June, it was announced that the former Australian international Kurtley Beale would be the captain of the team. [6] The jersey was chosen as a result of a public vote run by Rugby Australia. [7] [8]

Squad

The full First Nations & Pasifika XV squad for their match against the British & Irish Lions as part of the 2025 tour of Australia was named on 14 July 2025. [9] Some of the players selected had previously played against the Lions on the tour for the AUNZ Invitational XV. [10] It also features the first Fijian internationals to play against the Lions since they played against the Fiji national rugby union team in the 1977 British Lions tour to New Zealand. [10]

On 17 July, Filipo Daugunu and Taniela Tupou were released from the Wallabies squad for the tour match, whilst Ponepati Loganimasi also received a late call-up following the conclusion of the Fijian national team's July internationals. [11]

Coaching team:

PlayerPositionDate of birth (age)CapsClub/provinceHeritage
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Richie Asiata Hooker 3 May 1996 (age 29)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brandon Paenga-Amosa Hooker 25 December 1995 (age 29)20Flag of Australia (converted).svg Western Force Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa / Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg Māori
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg George Blake Prop 11 June 2001 (age 24)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands
Flag of Fiji.svg Mesake Doge Prop 1 April 1993 (age 32)19Flag of Fiji.svg Fijian Drua Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of Tonga.svg Feao Fotuaika Prop 23 April 1993 (age 32)5Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lington Ieli Prop 22 June 2004 (age 21)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Marley Pearce Prop 3 August 2003 (age 21)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Western Force Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg Māori / Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Taniela Tupou Prop 10 May 1996 (age 29)58Flag of Australia (converted).svg New South Wales Waratahs Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lukhan Salakaia-Loto Lock 19 September 1996 (age 28)41Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darcy Swain Lock 5 July 1997 (age 28)17Flag of Australia (converted).svg Western Force Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Fiji.svg Mesake Vocevoce Lock 16 May 2003 (age 22)9Flag of Fiji.svg Fijian Drua Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Seru Uru Lock 3 March 1997 (age 28)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of New Zealand.svg Charlie Gamble Back row 23 April 1996 (age 29)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg New South Wales Waratahs Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rob Leota Back row 3 March 1997 (age 28)21Flag of Australia (converted).svg New South Wales Waratahs Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Pete Samu Back row 17 December 1991 (age 33)33Flag of France.svg Bordeaux Bègles Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of New Zealand.svg Tuaina Taii Tualima Back row 1 June 1997 (age 28)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Issak Fines-Leleiwasa Scrum half 2 October 1995 (age 29)3Flag of Australia (converted).svg Western Force Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harrison Goddard Scrum half 8 April 1998 (age 27)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kalani Thomas Scrum half 18 April 2002 (age 23)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg Māori
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Debreczeni Fly-half 6 June 1993 (age 32)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Filipo Daugunu Centre 4 March 1995 (age 30)12Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of New Zealand.svg David Feliuai Centre 16 May 1997 (age 28)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lalakai Foketi Centre 22 December 1994 (age 30)9Flag of Australia (converted).svg New South Wales Waratahs Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga / Tino Rangatiratanga Maori sovereignty movement flag.svg Māori
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Isaac Henry Centre 8 March 1999 (age 26)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg Queensland Reds Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jarrah McLeod Centre 31 May 2004 (age 21)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andy Muirhead Wing 8 July 1993 (age 32)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kye Oates Wing 1 September 1999 (age 25)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg ACT Brumbies Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Fiji.svg Ponepati Loganimasi Wing 26 March 1998 (age 27)4Flag of Fiji.svg Fijian Drua Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Triston Reilly Wing 14 January 1999 (age 26)0Flag of Australia (converted).svg New South Wales Waratahs Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kurtley Beale Fullback 6 January 1989 (age 36)95Flag of Australia (converted).svg Western Force Australian Aboriginal Flag.svg First Nations

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Foster announced in AU/NZ coaching staff, First Nations Pasifika game confirmed for Lions Series". Rugby Australia. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lions to face indigenous-heritage team in Australia". BBC Sport. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "British and Irish Lions: Australia planning indigenous team to fill gap left by Melbourne Rebels for 2025 tour". Sky Sports. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Kiss unveiled as AUNZ coach, Kefu to steer First Nations & Pasifika XV". Rugby Australia. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "First Nations & Pasifika XV coaching staff confirmed". Rugby Australia. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Snape, Jack (26 June 2025). "Kurtley Beale to lead First Nations & Pasifika XV against Lions in Melbourne". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "First Nations & Pasifika XV: Jersey Fan Vote". Rugby Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Pasifika First Nations jersey revealed for Lions test". ABC Pacific. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "First Nations & Pasifika XV squad confirmed for Lions tour match". Rugby.com.au . 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  10. 1 2 Woods, Melissa (15 July 2025). "Overlooked lock included in First Nations and Pasifika squad". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Wallabies duo, Fijian flyer added to First Nations Pasifika squad". Rugby.com.au . 17 July 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
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