Tonga 7s

Coach Tevita Tuifua has had to make do with players training at bases in Tonga, Australia and New Zealand, with no time to train together.

Tuifua said the lack of finance has not been any help.

"We have had a tough time preparing. Our players were all over the place because we just did not have the funds to get them together," he said.

The team is now in South Africa trying to adapt and get their focus on this weekend's first round of the competition.

The team won three matches at the Sydney 7s from registering only two wins in Hamilton.

Tonga only won only one pool game in both tournaments, winning 26-16 against Japan in Sydney and recording 26-21 win over Great Britain in their second pool game in Hamilton.

The men in red jumpers appeared in the 9th place quarterfinals in both tournaments, and lost out 21-12 to Argentina in the final of the category in Sydney compared to bowing out 19-33 to Kenya in the semifinal of the category in Hamilton.

The team was unsuccessful in trying register a point during their second match 40-0 against France.

This is after they were thrashed by Fiji 52-7 in their first pool game at the tournament.

Tonga will be facing Japan in their last pool game.

They will then meet France in their second match on Saturday before they face Japan on the same day.

The Cup quarter finals start at 9.37pm Saturday, the Cup semifinals start at 9.06pm Sunday while the Cup final is at 9.26pm Sunday (ALL Local Times).

The team managed to secure only one win from four in pool play.

After their first up defeat by Samoa, the kingdom were outclassed 43-0 by Ireland before securing a narrow 21-12 win over Mexico on day one, and let a 10-0 lead slip to lose their final match 26-17 against Zimbabwe.

Former All Black centre Malakai Fekitoa, ex Wallabies loose forward Lopeti Timani and former Australian Sevens international Afusipa Taumoepeau are now eligible to play for the 'Ikale Tahi 15-a-side team after featuring in at least 50 percent of Tonga's matches in Monaco.

The former All Black first represented the team 13 years ago before moving to New Zealand as a 17-year-old.

Fekitoa is one of three players switching their international allegience to Tonga, alongside former Wallabies forward Lopeti Timani and ex Australian sevens international Afusipa Taumoepeau.

"I am very proud to have been a part of the best team in the world but at the same time I want to contribute something great to Tonga, my country, my homeland and where my heart belongs," he wrote on Twitter.

The Athletic Director of the Life West Gladiators in California was a part of the coaching staff when Tonga reached the semi finals of the Wellington Sevens in 2008.

He also helped coach the kingdom at the 2013 Sevens World Cup and was an 'Ikale Tahi assistant coach in 2014.

A squad of New Zealand based players has been training under head coach Tevita Tu'ifua for the past three years, which formed the core of teams that have competed in the men's Oceania Sevens Championship, World Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.

New Zealand-based squads representing Samoa and Tonga will take part in the men's tournament alongside two All Blacks Sevens teams, while a Moana Pasifika squad will feature in the women's competition with two Black Ferns Sevens teams and a Black Ferns 15-a-side selection.

Tonga played three games against the All Blacks Sevens back in February, losing by 26, 54 and just five points respectively.

With 10 weeks to go until Final Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Monaco, co-captain John Tapueluelu said the next two days were a chance to make a statement.

The kingdom placed seventh in the final round in Uruguay this morning to secure a top eight finish across the two weekends and a place in the final World Series qualifying tournament in Hong Kong in October.

Tevita Tu'ifua's side, who finished fifth in last weekend's opening round in Chile, had topped their group in Montevideo after beating Portugal 14-7, Colombia 40-19 and Chile 19-12 on day one of competition.

The team posted about its preparation phase on social media and thanked the school’s principal, Tony Coughlan for allowing players to use their field.

The team will be flying out on Tuesday to take part in rugby sevens challenger in Chile and Uruguay.

Tonga is one of thirteen nations that have earned a place in the Challenger Series.

The teams have qualified after finishing as the top ranked nations that are not competing in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in their respective regional sevens competitions in 2019.