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The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. It was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia – New Zealand hosted 21 matches while Australia hosted 11 matches. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who were the strong favourites and won all their matches comfortably. New Zealand defeated France 29–9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland. The New Zealand team was captained by David Kirk and included such rugby greats as Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox and Michael Jones. Wales finished third, and Australia fourth, after conceding crucial tries in the dying seconds of both their semi-final against France and the third-place play-off against Wales.
The Japan national rugby union team, also known as the Cherry Blossoms, Brave Blossoms, or simply Sakura, is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union. Fiji competed in the Pacific Tri-Nations and now competes in its successor tournament Pacific Nations Cup. Fiji also regularly plays test matches during the June and November test windows. They have beaten the major rugby playing sides of Wales, Scotland, Australia, France, Italy, Argentina and England. The only major sides Fiji are yet to beat are New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.
The Tonga national rugby union team represents the Tonga Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
The Canada men's national rugby union team represents the Canada in men's international rugby union competitions. They are overseen by Rugby Canada the governing body of rugby union in Canada.
The 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland, in April 1993. This tournament was the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament. The International Rugby Board invited the established rugby union nations but also were keen to involve emerging nations in the event, recognising the fact that Sevens was providing the bridge between the developed rugby nations and those whose rugby union traditions were less well established.
Rugby union is a moderately popular sport in Canada; it is quite strong as a participation sport, particularly in several hotspots like British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, the West Island of Montreal, Quebec City and Ontario but does not attract the same level of spectator support yet, likely because the CFL's popular brand of Canadian Football is still similar to rugby in many ways, whilst also being the dominant football code in the country. Rugby Canada is the administrative body for rugby union in Canada. Every province also has its own union.
Rugby union is the national sport of Tonga. Tonga are considered to be a tier 2 rugby nation by the International Rugby Board.
Rugby union in Fiji is a popular team sport and is considered to be the national sport of the country. The sport was introduced to Fiji in the 1880s. Fiji is defined as a tier two rugby nation by World Rugby. The national team has competed at the Rugby World Cup and made it as far as the quarter-finals. Their sevens team is also noted for their success, winning multiple Olympic gold medals, World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Sport in Tonga consists of many games. Rugby union is the national sport, sumo has a following, while football, judo, surfing, volleyball, and cricket have gained popularity in recent years. Rugby league and Australian football are also played.
The Tonga women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Tonga, representing them at rugby union. They compete annually in the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship.
Adam Kleeberger is a Canadian rugby union player. Previously, Kleeberger had played for Canadian clubs University of Victoria and Bayside as well as Rotherham Titans of the RFU Championship. In 2010 he joined Auckland in the ITM Cup. Kleeberger played two matches with Auckland before an injury forced him to return to Canada to join the University of Victoria of the British Columbia Premier League.
The 2013 Pacific Nations Cup rugby union tournament was held between five national sides in the Pacific Region: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Tonga, and USA.
Maama Vaipulu is a New Zealand rugby player of Tongan descent. He represented Counties Manukau and the Chiefs in New Zealand and Tonga on an international level. Currently he plays in the number 8 and occasionally flanker position for the France based Top 14 side, Castres.
Lomano Lemeki Lava is a professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for Japan Rugby League One club Green Rockets Tokatsu. Born in New Zealand, he represents Japan at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
Benhur Kivalu is a Samoan-born Tongan former rugby union player. He played as a lock and as a number eight.
Talai Fifita is a former Tongan rugby union footballer player who played for the national team and East Tamaki RFC. His regular playing position was scrum-half.
Taipaleti Kakato Tuʻuta is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as flanker.
References
- ↑ "Lemeki Vaipulu Tonga". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ↑ "World Rugby". Worldrugby.org. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ↑ "Match Report of Canada vs Tonga - 1987-05-24 - Rugby World Cup - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ↑ "Lemeki Vaipulu - Tonga - Rugby World Cup Player". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
