Tonga welcomes all players keen to represent 'Ikale Tahi

The Tonga Rugby Union says it would welcome any player that wants to pull on the 'Ikale Tahi jersey.

RNZ Pacific revealed last month that former All Black Charles Piutau, along with a handful of ex New Zealand and Australian internationals, wants to play for Tonga at the 2019 World Cup.

Players who have already represented one nation are able to switch allegiance through Olympic sevens qualifying events every four years, provided they had a passport for a second country and have completed a minimum stand down period of three years.

The Tonga Rugby Union's Vice Chairman Fe'ao Vunipola said the more the merrier.

"If they have said they'd like to join us then it's all good - they're always welcome," he said.

"We welcome the best players to join the national team. It doesn't matter whether it's rugby league or rugby union. That's what I think every team in the world dreams of - to have their dream team competing against the top teams of the world.

"It's great news: hopefully we can work together with World Rugby trying to reorganise the Olympic Sevens qualification because that's the only route for them to come back and join us."

Fe'ao Vunipola said Tonga's main goal this season was to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which they have achieved.

"Our same goal is to qualify for the quarter finals of the World Cup because Tonga's never qualified or gone past that stage and that's our ultimate goal to qualify for the quarter final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup."

Tonga is not a regular competitor on the Sevens World Series but Fe'ao Vunipola believed the team is tracking upwards after qualifying for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco, by finishing third at the Pacific Mini Games in Port Vila two weeks ago.

"With the sevens starting to perform (and) our Tonga A doing well it's only our Under 20s now that we need to work on. I think with the rugby academy in place going forward I think we're looking good and healthy," said Fe'ao Vunipola.