Samoa

There have also been angry social media exchanges between fans and pictures of various flags being burnt.

Jenny Salesa said rugby league was a game they all enjoy and people could celebrate in a way which is respectful and where everyone is safe and people are acting within the laws.

Mrs Salesa urged the Pacific community to come together in peace and unity, and to celebrate the pedigree of sporting talent the two Pacific nations possess.

Aupito William Sio said the community should be celebrating their league prowess and not throwing punches.

Among the best performers in Week 1, Tonga ran in nine tries in sweltering conditions in Cairns and added to the growing expectation that they could become the most successful tier-two nation in World Cup history. 

But ahead of Saturday night's clash with Samoa in Hamilton, Tonga captain Sika Manu told NRL.com it was vital his side cleared the Scotland result from their minds. 

"It's really important we come down from last week. It was such an emotional game, we just need to settle down and remember that we have got a game this week," Manu said.

The Kiwis threw caution-to-the-wind for much of their opening game at the Rugby League World Cup, resulting in them making 17 errors and completing just 62 per cent of their 42 uses with the ball.

Samoa and Solomons Men met for the first time for many years and it provided a close tussle. 

At the conclusion of the match it was a 2 all draw.

To find the winner involved the first shootout competition of the tournament.

Exciting goalkeeping kept the score 1-1 as different strikers had their turns however, it was in sudden death that Samoa, in their first Hockey5s shootout broke the deadlock to take the game.

The highlight game in the women's section was the match between Samoa and Fiji. Samoa really challenged Fiji and the match ended 6-4 to Fiji. 

Samoa was announced as the Games host four weeks ago, after Tonga pulled out in July, citing financial concerns.

President of the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, Patrick Fepuleai, said a lot needs to be achieved in a short space of time.

"We need to get our organising committee in place and with that we need a secretariat to help carry this out - these are the people that would be working full-time to help us deliver the Games," he said.

Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) New Zealand hosted six chocolate and coffee exporters from five Pacific Island countries at the show at The Cloud on Auckland’s picturesque waterfront last weekend.

Along with Tonga’s Tupu’anga Coffee were Samoa’s kokoloa, Solomons Gold from the Solomon Islands, Paradise Foods from Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu’s Tanna Coffee – all housed in a specially designed Pacific-themed stand titled the ‘Pacific Hub’. The six-booth PTI stand was one of the biggest at the show.

Wilex Samoa, a 100% locally owned family business, is showcase its delicately crafted KOKO LOA brand of chocolates.

The KOKO LOA is a new boutique cocoa brand that proudly celebrates its Samoan origins.

Elife’s Samoa Wild Tumeric is another Samoan product that will be promoted at the show this weekend.

Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, Elife’s Samoa Wild Turmeric Juice is uniquely prepared with alkaline ionised water to ensure you experience its unique and natural flavour, without the interference of additives and preservatives.

Lakhan made the comment after signing the host agreement with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in Apia yesterday.

“When we got the bids, Samoa ticked all the boxes and came up with flying colors,” he said.

“Samoa met all the criterias from government backing and support to the availability of international sports facilities and two experts on the ground to facilitate, manage and deliver the level of competitions. By far, I am very confident that Samoa will deliver.”

Speaking at a press conference in Apia, after their meeting with the Forum Leaders yesterday, Politini said the region should use Fiji’s COP23 Presidency as leverage to access the funds.

“The funding that is become available under the Green Climate Fund it is difficult to access for small Island states. 

“So I pleaded with the leaders because it comes through government level, they would have to negotiate for this to try to use their influence particularly that we have the COP23 chairmanship in the Pacific the most vulnerable through Fiji.

A traditional Ava ceremony was accorded the heads of the Forum-member delegations as well as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.

Samoa Prime Minister and Chair of the meeting, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi called on the leaders and member countries to stand together and implement the decisions that the leaders endorse at this year's meeting.

He also encouraged the Pacific to support Fiji's co-presidency of the COP 23, the annual round of the ongoing UN climate negotiations in Germany later this year.