Rugby sevens, and originally known as seven-a-side rugby, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40 minute halves. Rugby sevens is administered by World Rugby, the body responsible for rugby union worldwide. The game is popular at all levels, with amateur and club tournaments generally held in the summer months. Sevens is one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, and is popular in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and especially in the South Pacific.
The Pacific Games is a multi-sport event, much like the Olympic Games, with participation exclusively from countries around the Pacific Ocean. It is held every four years and began in 1963.
Apia Park is a multi-function sports complex located in Apia, the capital of Samoa. Primarily used for rugby union events, Apia Park is the home stadium of the Samoa national rugby union team, Manu Samoa. It is also a venue for association football.
The main sports played in Samoa are rugby union and rugby league. Other popular sports are netball and soccer. Samoans in American Samoa are more likely to follow or play American sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Sports such as mixed martial arts, boxing, professional wrestling, and volleyball are popular among most ethnic Samoans regardless of location.
The 2009 Pacific Mini Games was held in the Cook Islands from 21 September to 2 October. It was the 8th edition of the Pacific Mini Games.
Rugby union at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when included as one of ten sports at the first games held in Suva, Fiji. Rugby sevens is the form of rugby now played at the Pacific Games, with men's and women's tournaments included in the current schedule. The women's competition was added for the first time at the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa.
Touch rugby at the 2015 Pacific Games was held on 3–10 July 2015 at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea defeated Samoa in the finals of both the men's and women's tournament by 8–7 and 6–2, respectively to claim two of the three gold medals for touch rugby. Samoa turned the tables to claim the gold medal in the mixed tournament, defeating Papua New Guinea by 9–7 in the final. The Cook Islands won all three bronze medals.
The Men's touch rugby tournament at the 2015 Pacific Games was held in Port Moresby from 3 to 7 July 2015 at the Bisini Touch Football Fields. The hosts Papua New Guinea won the gold mdeal defeating Samoa by 8–7 in the final. The Cook Islands took the bronze medal defeating the Solomon Islands by 18–4 in the third place play-off.
The Women's touch rugby tournament at the 2015 Pacific Games was held in Port Moresby from 3 to 7 July 2015 at the Bisini Touch Football Fields. The hosts Papua New Guinea won the gold mdeal defeating Samoa by 6–2 in the final. The Cook Islands took the bronze medal defeating Kiribati by 11–2 in the third place play-off.
The Mixed touch rugby tournament at the 2015 Pacific Games was held in Port Moresby from 8 to 10 July 2015 at the Bisini Touch Football Fields. Samoa won the gold medal, defeating hosts Papua New Guinea by 9–7 in the final. Tonga took the bronze medal defeating the Cook Islands by 10–3 in the third place play-off.
Touch rugby was introduced to the Pacific Games in 2003 at Suva in Fiji. It is an optional sport for the Pacific Games program, and the tournaments include men's, women's and mixed competitions. The first touch rugby tournament at the Pacific Mini Games was played in the Cook Islands in 2009.
The Men's touch rugby tournament at the 2003 Pacific Games was held in Suva from 7 to 10 July 2003 at the Veiuto Primary School. Fiji won the gold medal, defeating Papua New Guinea by 6–5 in the final. Samoa took the bronze medal.
Archery at the Pacific Games was first contested at the 1971 games at Papeete. It has also been included in the Pacific Mini Games, firstly at Norfolk Island in 2001 and then Port Vila in 2017.
A men's Twenty20 cricket tournament at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, was held from 8 to 13 July 2019 at the Faleata Oval Grounds. Following the International Cricket Council's decision to grant T20I status to all matches played between Associate Members after 1 January 2019, matches were eligible for Twenty20 International (T20I) status subject to both teams being members of the ICC and players passing eligibility criteria.
A women's Twenty20 cricket tournament at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, was held from 8 to 13 July 2019 at the Faleata Oval Grounds. Following the International Cricket Council's decision to grant T20I status to all women's matches played between Associate Members after 1 July 2018, matches were eligible for Twenty20 International (T20I) status subject to both teams being members of the ICC and players passing eligibility criteria.
Lawn bowls at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa was held on 8–13 July 2019. The tournament was played on the Faleata Lawn Bowls Greens at Tuanaimato. Medals were awarded in separate men's and women's lawn bowls events for singles, pairs, triples and fours.
Rugby sevens at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa was played from 12–13 July at the St Joseph's Sports Field. The venue was changed three days before the tournament due to muddy conditions at Apia Park.
Touch rugby at the 2019 Pacific Games was played from 15–20 July 2019 at St Joseph's Sports Field in Samoa.
The Women's touch rugby tournament at the 2019 Pacific Games was held in Apia from 15 to 17 July 2019 at the St Joseph's Sports Field.
The Mixed touch rugby tournament at the 2019 Pacific Games was held in Apia from 18 to 20 July 2019 at the St Joseph's Sports Field.
