The Tonga national rugby sevens team competing at the 2023 Sevens Challenger Series in Stellenbosch is not the best prepared.
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.
Former All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa, who played in the Tonga Sevens team years ago before he moved to New Zealand, visited the team and handed the players' their jersies for the competition.
Fekitoa played for his Munster team against Stormers in Capetown at the weekend and invited the Tonga 7s team to watch the his in action.
Tonga will play Germany, Zimbabwe and Belgium in pool play.
They will need to finish in the top four at the competition and get a better ranking for the second round competition.