Tongan

Siaki Vikilani has been named in Canadian national team's line-up for this afternoon's clash at Te'ufaiva Park - the first of two Test matches between the two sides.

Vikilani is the son of former Tongan captain Tasi Vikilani, who moved to Canada some years ago.

Today's game is part of the teams Rugby World Cup preparations in Frace which starts next month.

PMN News reports Soane Foliaki, who’s a senior solicitor at Community Law South Auckland with over 30 years experience in helping immigration clients, says when he first heard what had happened he was shocked. 

“I was at the apology and I was also a teenager at the time of the first dawn raids in the seventies,” he says. 

“To see the Prime Minister do the apology with such humility by way of the ifoga - putting the mat over her head - it was really moving. 

“So when this happened it’s hard to describe how I felt - to be honest I was quite disgusted.”

“I watched my mum graduate, so it’s exciting to have my mum watching me graduate,” she says. 

PMN News reports Helen’s mum Ana arrived from Tonga in 2000 and went on to study at the University of Auckland before becoming a high school English teacher. 

“My mum couldn’t afford kindergarten or childcare, so she used to take me to classes with her,” says Helen.  

“For me, graduating is like a full circle experience.” 

RNZ reports it is the first time a Pacific scientist has won the award.

An Associate Professor of Biomedical and Health Sciences in immunology, and Pacific Associate Dean, at the University's Wellington campus, Dr Sika-Paotonu has been a leading voice during the covid-19 pandemic.

As a New Zealander of Tongan descent, she has been one of the few Pacific voices qualified to speak in detail on the pandemic, explaining the technical aspects of immunology, vaccines, the virus and infectious diseases to the media.

Ana Lauhingoa and her husband are bringing a taste of Pacific cuisine to the Hamilton community in New Zesaland reports Tagata Pasifika.

Ana says, “The passion comes from my Mum, because she did a lot of cooking for our people.

“And you know food brings us together. If the food’s not good, we won’t enjoy the occasion.”

Of Tongan heritage, Ana says they would often head to Auckland to get island food and this is what inspired her to build something for the Hamilton community.

Tagata Pasifika reports the film stars John-Paul Foliaki (Popstars), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (The Panthers), Ilaisaane Green (Brutal Lives), Onetoto Ikavuka, Mikey Falesiu (Toke), Lupeti Finau, Lotima Pome’e (Under the Vines), and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson (Savage). 

Profit and his family spent a weekend in Timaru attending the Colgate Games recently. After the athletics meet, the family came back to their vehicle and realised they had a flat tyre. 

Tagata Pasifika reports in a video titled ‘NZ is just different’, Profit told his followers, “I was about to go out and change the tyre when my wife reminded me that we have roadside assistance, so we called them, and they told us they would be there in 15 minutes.

“It has been like, 10 people – literally 10 people, I’m not exaggerating – that has stopped and said ‘hey man, you need help?’

The women’s World Cup in France is set to expand to 16 nations in 2025, double the current number, with the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji set to come under consideration for tournament entry.

Tonga is the fourth most represented nation in the NRLW this season, however there is no official national women’s side under the Tonga National Rugby League governing body.

A Tongan women’s side last played against Niue in 2020 under a newly formed women’s board but prior to that the nation hasn’t featured in a game since the 2008 World Cup.

Breaking the Paralympic record a total of four times, Lisa eventually triumphed with a best of 15.12m, which she achieved in both the fifth and sixth rounds of the women’s F37 shot put final on Saturday (28).

“It’s a euphoric feeling,” Lisa told Athletics New Zealand. “Happy, relief, proud. Very emotional.”

That emotion could be seen as she celebrated her win with her sister, with Valerie – the two-time Olympic and four-time world shot put champion – watching in the stands of the stadium where she had won her fourth Olympic medal in a competition won by Lijiao Gong.

The surgeon carrying out the procedure informed that the surgery was successful, with Andrew expected to make a full recovery. 

A statement released by Fifita’s club Cronulla Sharks said he will now remain in ICU in the short term, before continuing his recovery in hospital. 

“Andrew's wife Nikki and the Fifita family would like to express their thanks to their many friends, Sharks members and fans and the wider rugby league community for the support and well wishes received, with the family now looking for some space and privacy during the recovery process.”