Sport in Tonga
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Rugby union
Rugby union is the national sport,[citation needed] and the national team (ʻIkale Tahi, or Sea Eagles) has performed quite well on the international stage. Though Tongans are passionate rugby followers and players, their small population base means that, much like its Pacific Island neighbours, Samoa and Fiji, Tonga has a limited yet talented player pool, and sometimes struggles with the resources and numbers of larger nations. Young talent often emigrates or is poached to countries which offer greater prospects of individual success such as New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Nevertheless, all three countries perform far beyond their population base size.
Tonga has competed in six
In
Tonga perform the
Many players of Tongan descent, e.g.,
Rugby league
Secondary Schools Competition started in 2007 with five teams in the Under 18s competition and eight teams in the Under 16s. Takuilau High School won the Under 18s competition and Liahona High School won the Under 16s competition.
It is the largest number of teams and players participating in rugby league in Tongan history, with the National Schools Committee starting the Under 12s, Under 14s and Under 15s in 2008.
TNRL estimates that there are roughly 1,500 players playing rugby league in Tonga for 2007.
Tonga are represented internationally by the Tonga national rugby league team, who have competed in three Rugby League World Cups, and also compete in regular Pacific Cup competitions. In the 2013 Rugby League World Cup Tonga Lost to Scotland before beating Cook Islands and Italy. However this was not enough for them to reach the quarter-finals. Tonga is currently ranked 4th in the world.
American football
The first Tongan to play in the
Australian rules football
The senior men's representative team is known as the Black Marlins, and hosted Australian amateur team the Fitzroy Reds in late 2006.
Although the Black Marlins could not raise the money required to send a team to the 2008 Australian Football International Cup, a Tongan-Australian side did participate in the multicultural division of the competition against multicultural sides from Asia and Africa.
Boxing
Boxing is a growing sport in Tonga. Boxer Paea Wolfgramm won the silver medal in the Super Heavyweight division (> 91 kg) at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Although he is not the first Pacific Islander to win a medal at an Olympics, he is the first to do so representing a Pacific Island nation. This makes Tonga the first Pacific island nation to win a medal at the Olympic Games, and the only one until the Fiji men's team won gold in rugby sevens at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Cricket
The
Luge
Princess Pilolevu Tuita is known as the patron of the Luge Federation of the Kingdom of Tonga. She sponsored Bruno Banani, real name
Olympics
Aside from rugby, Tonga has also produced athletes that have competed at both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Most recently, Taekwondo athlete
Stadiums in Tonga
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Tenants | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teufaiva Sport Stadium | 10,000 | Nuku'alofa |
Tonga national football team Tonga national rugby union team |
See also
References
- ^ "Official RWC 2011 Site". 2012-01-07. Archived from the original on 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". www.cricketarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ^ "Nepal, Netherlands get T20 international status". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ "Tongan luger Bruno Banani exposed as a hoax". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ^ "sport.ORF.at". sport.ORF.at (in German). Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ^ „This is a dream“ – HRH Princess Pilolevu Tuita initiated commitment
- ^ "Introducing the Tonga flagbearer who glistened during Rio Olympic opening ceremony". USA Today.
