Tonga Women's Rugby

Tonga A meets Manusina Samoa in Auckland in the curtain raiser before Moana Pasifika's home game against the Melbourne Rebels in the culture-themed round 10 of the Super Rugby Pacific competition at Mt Smart Stadium.

The invitational game will used by both sides for selection of their final teams to play in the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship planned for May.

Tonga A women's team manager Ilaisaane Manukalo Vaihu said Saturday's clash should become a permanent fixture between the two sides.

The announcement was made yesterday as part of celebrating International Women's Day.

The position was at the invitation of TRU, which is being reformed under new CEO, Peter Harding.

Hon Fanetupouvava’u is currently Tonga’s High Commissioner to the UK, but actively supports and advocates women’s rugby in Tonga.

She has been President of the TWRU since its inception in 2016 when it was known as Tonga Women’s Rugby Association. She led the Tonga Women’s National Sevens team to Oceania Rugby Sevens Tournament in 2016 and 2017.

It was only two years ago when the kingdom's ministry placed a ban on girls playing rugby in schools, a move which was quickly reversed following public outrage.

The team had to withdraw from the Oceania Rugby Championship in November over measles concerns but were thrown a World Cup lifeline after World Rugby agreed to a revised qualification process.

However, last weekend's repechage qualifier against Papua New Guinea had to be postponed by 24 hours after visa entry complications because of the coronavirus twice prevented the Tongan team's departure from Auckland.

The first ever women's rugby international to be played in PNG was postponed 24 hours after visa entry complications because of the coronavirus twice prevented the Tongan team's departure from Auckland last week.

The kingdom conceded the opening try in only the second minute but scored four first-half tries to lead the Cassowaries 22-12 at the interval, despite prop Atamaama Tuutafaiva being sent off in the 37th minute.

The decision to remove the kingdom from the tournament was made after they were forced into quarantine for 18 days, with the team scheduled to be relieved of isolation next week.

Tonga's opening match against Australia A was cancelled and declared a draw, with Papua New Guinea and Fiji winning their other scheduled matches by default.

World Rugby announced a revised World Cup qualification process at the weekend, with the kingdom to play Papua New Guinea in the new year for the right to face the loser of Saturday's Oceania qualifying final between Fiji and Samoa.

The outbreak has killed at least six people in Samoa and spread across the Pacific islands, with Tonga’s Health Ministry confirming last week there were more than 250 confirmed cases of the disease.

The decision to quarantine the Tonga team was made by Fijian health officials and the World Health Organisation.

The Nov. 18-30 Oceania championship doubled as a qualifying tournament for the World Cup in New Zealand, with the winners advancing directly to the global showpiece. The second-placed team would enter a repechage tournament.