| Rugby union in Wallis and Futuna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Wallis and Futuna |
| Governing body | French Rugby Federation Comité Territorial de Rugby Wallis et Futuna |
| National team(s) | Wallis and Futuna |
| First played | late 19th century |
Rugby union in Wallis and Futuna is a popular sport within the French overseas territory.
The Comité Territorial de Rugby Wallis et Futuna is a committee under the umbrella of the French Rugby Federation which is the governing body for rugby union within Wallis and Futuna. [1] [2]
The committee is not affiliated to the IRB in its own right, but it is an associate member of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU), which is the governing body for rugby union in Oceania.
Rugby union was first introduced into Wallis and Futuna by the French, [3] and has been played there for over a century. Wallis and Futuna is still a French colony, and this has proven a mixed blessing, as players have the prospect of "promotion" to French professionalism/semi-amateurism, but this also potentially weakens the local system, removing players from local competitions.
Wallis and Futuna also has geographical problems. The two main island groups are 160 km apart, making regular competition difficult. There is also the issue of population, since the islands only have around 13,000 inhabitants. However, the islands have strong ties to Tonga and Samoa, both of which are major rugby nations, despite their small size. The Kailao often thought of as the Tongan haka and used by the Tonga national rugby union team is of Wallisian origin.[ citation needed ]
Wallis and Futuna first played international 15-a-side rugby in 1966 at the South Pacific Games (as it was then called), but has since switched focus onto playing rugby sevens. Rugby Sevens has been a sport in the South Pacific Games since the late 1990s. The Wallis and Futuna team has competed at 7-a-side rugby tournaments in recent Pacific Games. [4] [5]
| Stadium | Capacity | City |
|---|---|---|
| Stade Laione Rugby | 1,000 | Mata Utu |
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands, is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast, Samoa to the east, and Tokelau to the northeast.
The French Football Federation is the governing body of football in France. It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital, Paris. The FFF was a founding member of FIFA and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in France, both professional and amateur. The French Football Federation is a founding member of UEFA and joined FIFA in 1907 after replacing the USFSA, who were founding members.
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 Tahiti Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Tahiti. It was founded in 1989 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1994.
The Cook Islands is a third tier rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby in early 1971. Thus far, the Cook Islands have not made an appearance at any of the World Cups.
The Solomon Islands national rugby union team represent Solomon Islands in the sport of rugby union.
Oceania Rugby, previously known as the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU), is the regional governing body for rugby union in Oceania. It was founded in 2000 to represent the interests of Oceania rugby within World Rugby, the international governing body. It presently encompasses fourteen full members and two associate members.
Rugby union in New Caledonia is a minor but growing sport.
The Tonga women's national rugby sevens team represents Tonga in rugby sevens.
The Wallis and Futuna national rugby sevens team is a minor national team that competes in the Pacific Games and in regional tournaments.
The 2013 Pacific Mini Games was the ninth edition of these Mini Games. They were held in Mata Utu in Wallis and Futuna from 2 to 12 September 2013. It was the first time the games had been held in Wallis and Futuna.
The Réunion Rugby Committee is a committee under the umbrella of the French Rugby Federation which is the governing body for rugby union within Réunion.
The Mayotte Rugby Committee is a committee under the umbrella of the French Rugby Federation which is the governing body for rugby union within Mayotte.
The New Caledonia Rugby Committee is a committee under the umbrella of the French Rugby Federation which is the governing body for rugby union within New Caledonia.
The Wallis and Futuna Rugby Committee is a committee under the umbrella of the French Rugby Federation which is the governing body for rugby union within Wallis and Futuna.
The 1985 South Pacific Mini Games were held at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands from 31 July to 9 August 1985. It was the second edition of the South Pacific Mini Games.
The 1997 South Pacific Mini Games were held at Pago Pago in American Samoa from 11 to 22 August 1997. It was the fifth edition of the South Pacific Mini Games. It was much larger than previous editions, with an almost doubling of the number of medals awarded compared to the 1993 South Pacific Mini Games. The impressive performances by Nauru in weightlifting continued in Pago Pago, with the tiny nation finishing on top of the unofficial medal table after winning 33 gold.
The Nauru national rugby sevens team made its international debut at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Beach volleyball at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1999 when the sport was included at the Eleventh South Pacific Games held in Guam. Since that time, Beach volleyball has been one of the core sports of the Pacific Games, required to be included for both men and women in every games. It has also been included in some of the Pacific Mini Games, starting with the seventh edition held in Palau in 2005.
Heamatangi Tu'ivai is a Tongan Athlete and rugby player who has represented Tonga at the Commonwealth Games and Pacific Mini Games.
