The Punjas Rugby Series was a rugby union challenge series played between Fiji A and Tonga A. It was sponsored by Fijian company Punja & Sons and played in Fiji in 2010 and 2011. [1] There was some discussion about expanding the series to include teams from Samoa, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, but this did not eventuate and the series ended after the 2011 edition. [1] [2]
| 16 April 2010 19:00, UTC+12 |
Fiji Warriors  | 13–27 |  Tonga A |
| Try: Mocetadra Con: Rawaqa (1/1) Pen: Rawaqa (2) | Report [3] | Try: Feʻao Vaiomoʻunga Con: Palu (1/2) Pen: Palu (5) |
| National Stadium, Suva |
| 23 April 2010 |
| Fiji Warriors | 21–3 | Tonga A |
| Pen: Rawaqa (7) | Report [4] | Pen: Palu (1) |
| Churchill Park, Lautoka |
The Samoa national rugby union team represents Samoa in men's international rugby union and it is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union. They are also known as Manu Samoa, which is thought to derive from the name of a Samoan warrior. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. Samoa Rugby Union were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga. They are ranked 11th in the world.
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, 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 Tonga 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 Pacific Tri-Nations was the traditional rugby union series between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. It was established in 1982 with the Samoan team, then known as Western Samoa, winning the tournament. In 2006 it was replaced by the IRB Pacific 5 Nations which was then renamed the Pacific Nations Cup.
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