Pasifika Rugby

Former Tongan rugby star supporting Pasifika with disabilities

'Isileli Kaiongo Tupou wants to encourage young people to choose support work as a meaningful and life-changing career, an opportunity to grow as a person and open doors to new meaning and opportunity.

Tupou is a disability support co-ordinator for Vaka Tautua in Canterbury - a team committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Pacific peoples, families and communities. Vaka Tautua provides community support for older people, people living with disability and those needing support for mental health.

Disappointment in Pacific regarding Super Rugby snub

New Zealand Rugby have confirmed the 2021 competition will run with just the same five New Zealand teams as this year, with the addition of a one-off final.

The NZR chair, Brent Impey, said none of the Pacific team bids were both competitive on the field and financially sustainable off the field.

"We are not in a position financially - we're running multi-million dollar losses - to subsidise anything, " he said.

"If we've got money it needs to go into our community, it needs to go into our provinces, so I'm sorry we do not have the money to compromise."

'Now or never': Pasifika side hits out at New Zealand Rugby's 'shady' Super Rugby snub

NZR confirmed the Herald‘s report that the hugely popular Super Rugby Aotearoa will return next year, with the addition of a final, and the hope of then staging crossover matches with the five Australian teams.

The NZR board opted to reject the addition of a Pasifika side next year due to concerns around its immediate competitiveness in such a compressed timeframe, and apparent insufficient corporate support to prove a self-sustainable future.