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Moana Pasifika star winger makes the move down south.
After an incredible two years with Moana Pasifika, Fijian superstar Timoci Tavatavanawai will depart the club for the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Born and raised in Fiji, the 25 year old was originally part of the Crusaders and Highlanders wider training groups in 2021 before embarking with Moana in the 2022/23 season. His ability to beat multiple defenders has been a trait of his, notching up a record against the Waratahs on the most defenders beaten in one game.
Tavatavanawai is thankful for his time with Moana Pasifika and is excited for the next step of his career with the Highlanders.
“It’s been an incredible honour to represent my culture during my time with Moana Pasifika and I will always be grateful to the team that made my time great,” he said.
Highlanders head coach Clarke Dermody says that Tavatavanawai will be a great weapon for the team and will be of great aid through his running metres and line breaks.
Emoni Narawa shines on All Black debut.
After a stutter start in the opening minutes, the All Blacks finally got their momentum swing with an opening three tries against Argentina over the weekend.
In his first start as an All Black, young Chiefs winger Emoni Narawa showed some positive signs in the first half. Narawa saw a lot of ball come his way as he managed to hold himself in some tight areas.
It has been a feature of his throughout the Super Rugby season providing the perfect balance on attack and defence. The 23 year old completed a well rounded performance with a try in the 76th minute.
Lisa Adams retains world shot put title.
Paralympic champion Shot Put sensation Lisa Adams has done it again successfully retaining her world shot put F37 title with a championship record performance on day two evening session at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships.
Adams, reaffirmed her status as the world’s dominant women’s shot put F37 thrower as the 32-year-old once again gave a clear demonstration of her gifts inside a steaming Stade Charlety.
After registering a foul in round five and with the competition already pocketed, Adams saved her best for last as she powered the 3kg shot out to 14.84m in round six to add 4cm to her championship record performance from 2019.
Adams said of her win, “I just needed to get a safe throw out there and just build on that which I did. We don’t train to finish second, you want to come first, and that was the goal. I’m also pleased to get a slot for New Zealand (at the Paris Paralympics next year by finishing top four), I feel that was a good team goal.”
Podium finish for Fiji and Samoa at OFC U19 Women’s Championship.
The OFC Under 19 Women’s Championship has concluded in Suva Fiji, with New Zealand defeating hosts Fiji in the final.
After a convincing win against Samoa in the semi finals, Fiji went head to head against favourites New Zealand in front of their home fans.
The kiwis tallied a 7 goal win over their counterparts in what was a dominating performance through the entire match. Some promising early attacks from Preeya Singh and Kasanita Tabua looked positive for the hosts, but were quickly shut down by a powerful defence from the opposition.
New Zealand captain Manaia Elliot was a standout for her side, clinching two goals alongside a well crafted performance throughout the fixture.
Samoa went head to head with the Cook Islands in the bronze match in a tight battle right from the start. A double from Arianna Skeers proved to be the difference for Samoa.
Adams said of her win, “I just needed to get a safe throw out there and just build on that which I did. We don’t train to finish second, you want to come first, and that was the goal. I’m also pleased to get a slot for New Zealand (at the Paris Paralympics next year by finishing top four), I feel that was a good team goal.”
Addin Fonua Blake celebrates milestone with a big win.
One New Zealand Warriors went back to their winning days with a big victory over last year’s finalists Eels last weekend. The game marked a couple of milestone celebrations for the club including Mate Ma’a Tonga, Addin Fonua Blake reaching his 150th match in the NRL.
After beginning his career with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2016, Fonua Blake has now gone on to play 53 games for the Warriors. Sitting in the top 8 of this year’s standings, Blake has been instrumental for the Warriors turnaround season. With a total of five tries in the season so far, Fonua Blake is potentially cementing himself as the in form prop of the year.
Polynesian Football Hall of Fame complete pacific trip in New Zealand.
Members of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame were recently in the country as part of their tour of the pacific helping ignite the NFL/American football sport amongst the youth.
Led by San Francisco 49ers legend Seiuli Jesse Sapolu, the team spent a few days in New Zealand networking amongst the pacific community concluding with a training session at the Papatoetoe rugby club fields.
Seiuli, who is a four time Super Bowl champion said that opportunities like this create a possible future for the younger generation. He drew comparison to Australian Samoan Jordan Mailata, who was snubbed by rugby league coaches due to his size.
Fast forward to now, Mailata has become a regular starter for the Philadelphia Eagles signed a four year $64 million contract with a signing bonus of $10 million.
Speaking at the Pasifika Sports Networking event last Wednesday, Seiuli said that their mission is to implement not just on field but also off field values among aspiring players.
“We want to remind our players that even with the big money and contracts, we must always remember our pacific values we were taught”.
The group’s trip to New Zealand ended their tour of the Pacific including Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.
