Rugby union in Tonga
| Rugby union in Tonga | |
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The national team performing the sipi tau
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| Country | Tonga |
| Governing body | Tonga Rugby Union |
| National team | Tonga |
| Nickname(s) | Ikale Tahi |
| First played | Early 20th century |
| Registered players | 6,891 (total) 3,049 (adult) |
| Clubs | 82 |
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National competitions
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Club competitions
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Rugby union is the national sport of Tonga. Tonga are considered to be a tier 2 rugby nation by the International Rugby Board.
Tonga has four main rugby playing islands, Vava'u which produced players like Epi Taione, Ha'apai which produced players like Jonah Lomu, Eua which produced the Vunipola family, (eight brothers who all played for the national team), and Tongatapu the major island in the Tonga island group.
Rugby union is governed by the Tonga Rugby Union who are also members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance.
Tonga were awarded 'second tier' status by the International Rugby Board which entitles them to funding from the IRB. The TRFU was founded in 1923, and joined the IRB, in 1987.
Rugby union was brought to the region in the early 20th century by sailors and missionaries. The main impetus for the establishment of rugby in Tonga came from the Irish missionaries in the 1920s, who introduced it to Tupou College and Tonga College. Since then, the main influence has been from New Zealand, as well as the neighbouring Pacific Islands of Samoa and Fiji, which not unlike Tonga perform far beyond their small population bases. Like Fiji and Samoa, they have a strong tendency towards rugby sevens, which suits their population and geography, and have performed well at the Hong Kong tournament.
The New Zealand connection, as for Samoa, has been a mixed blessing, since on the one hand it means that Tongans can play in a major field, but on the other hand, winning a cap for the All Blacks is a major ambition for many Tongans.
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Wikipedia