Tonga women’s rugby forced out of Oceania Cup over measles concerns

The Tonga women’s rugby team has withdrawn from this week’s Oceania Rugby Championships in Fiji after the team was quarantined for measles.

Oceania Rugby said the decision was made after the team were forced into quarantine for 18 days – which would run through the tournament.

One of the players who arrived in Fiji was suspected of having measles, and tests were conducted on Sunday.

A senior official at the Fiji health ministry, Aalisha Sahukan, said the risk of infection was deemed too high for the Tongan team to participate.

The decision has forced a new schedule to be drawn up for the rest of the tournament.