Pacific Championships: Big Rugby League Matches To Set Pace For 2025

Saturday, 2 November 2024, 5:52 pm
Article: RNZ

Iliesa Tora, Senior Sports Journalist

Pacific Cup rugby action in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea this weekend will determine future standings of Pasifika teams involved.

First up on Saturday is the Rugby League World Cup qualifier between Fiji Bulikula and Fetu Samoa in the final of the women's Pacific Bowls championship.

That game at Mount Smart Stadium is expected to be a thriller, with both camps raring to go.

The winner qualifies directly for the rugby league world cup, while the loser will get a chance to qualify through the repecharge play-off.

Then it is the big one for the night, the New Zealand Kiwi host the Tonga XIII in the Pacific Cup decider.

The winner wins the Cup and stays in the competition for 2025.

The loser will meet the winner of the Pacific Bowls competition.

Action continues on Sunday in Port Moresby where the PNG Orchids host the New Zealand women in the women's Pacific Cup decider before the Pacific Bowls last match between the PNG Kumuls and Cook Islands.

Both the Orchids and the New Zealand women will be fighting to win and get to meet Australia in the final.

The loser also goes into the promotion relegation series against the top team from the women's Pacific Bowls.

MMT and Kiwis all set to do battle

Both the Kiwis and the Tonga XIII, better known as Mate Ma'a Tonga, rounded off their preparations with their captain's runs at the Mount Smart Stadium on Friday morning.

The Kiwis took the field first and went through their game plan without a hitch.

Then it was the Tongans who had their turn.

Tonga League chairman Lord Fakafanua was on the grandstand and watched the action.

"We are excited," he said.

"This is the first internationals we have had and we are looking forward to meeting the Kiwis.

"Definitely a big game."

Lord Fakafanua said the Kiwis will always start as favourites but the Tonga XIII will go out to play their best.

He believes Mount Smart Stadium will be enveloped with red tomorrow as thousands of Tongans around New Zealand and some from Tonga will flock into the venue to back their MMT side.

"We don't have to invite Tongans to the game. They already know how to support the team and they will definitely be out in numbers," he said.

This past few says have already seen Tongans celebrating around Otahuhu, where daily parades and cheering have been going on.

On the field coach Kristian Woolf said they are ready.

"We have done our homework. It's now up to the boys on the field," he said.

The Kiwis are also psyched for the clash.

Centre Matt Timoko is adamant the Kiwis can hit their straps in Auckland and set up a rematch with the Kangaroos in the Cup final on 10 November.

"It's a new set of faces [from last year] and it has been a good experience getting to know guys like Shaun [Johnson] and Peta [Hiku] and mingling with young boys coming through," Timoko, who made his Test debut against Samoa in last year's Pacific Championships, told NRL Media.

"We had our first hit-out together and we were real clunky in attack but we'll grow from here."

The return of Shaun Johnson, who answered an SOS following the injury to Jahrome Hughes and last weekend played his first Test since the 2019 Lions tour of New Zealand, is a plus for the Kiwis.

"I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say we admired Shaun from afar. He has brought a sense of calmness into our play and our structure and it has been awesome picking his brains and learning from him," Timoko said.

"It has been great having past players come in and also the staff who have played Test footy, they have been in this situation before.

"Guys like Adam Blair and Nathan Cayless have the same passion they had when they played so it has been awesome to feed off that."

A Bulikula win will be a big boost

If they qualify for the 2026 World Cup by beating Fetu Samoa or winning next year's World Series against Ireland, Nigeria and an Americas team - either Canada, Jamaica or USA - support is set to go through the roof for rugby league in Fiji.

And the team is making quick progress by winning support back home.

Captain Talei Holmes told fans on Wednesday she is honoured to be leading the side and to be playing for Fiji.

She said having the support of Fijians at home is massive for the side.

"To have all those young kids and everyone watching is a huge stepping stone for women's rugby league, and Fiji rugby league, so I am looking forward to see where the game goes," Holmes told NRL Media.

"We have got so much talent in Fiji, we have got so many girls coming through, and I'm excited for the world to see what we can do."

Holmes and other NRLW stars, including Sharks team-mate Cassie Staples and Wests Tigers playmaker Losana Lutu, have boosted the side's chances.

They defeated the Cook Islands in Suva last weekend and match up against Fetu Samoa, who took Tonga out of the running, a week earlier, also in Suva.

Lutu spoke to NRL Media and said she is aso excited to be playing for her home team and learning the culture.

"It has been good just seeing everyone gel together and building that connection to culture," Lutu, who was born in Fiji and whose family are from the island of Beqa, said.

"We play for our families and there are a lot of little kids who look up to us, so we just want to make them proud and keep winning.

"It will mean a lot to make the World Cup so that is going to be extra motivating this week [against Samoa]."

Holmes, whose family links are to the island of Taveuni, also had strong support among the 3216 fans who defied monsoonal conditions on the day of the match to cheer the Bulikula to victory.

"I've got lots of extended family I haven't even met before and they were all calling me out in the crowd," Holmes said.

"It was amazing to see them. I had my aunty come to the jersey presentation so that was special because it was the first time I had met her.

"I loved playing in front of that crowd. I was so proud and so grateful for the support. We have got to win one more game and we are in the World Cup.

"Samoa are going to be tough but if we play the way we did [against Cook Islands] we can do anything."

Orchids and Kumuls hope home fans will help them win

As they prepare for their respective matches on Sunday, both the Kumuls and Orchids are counting on home support to help them win their matches.

The Orchids have a tough job at hand and they will be hoping their home ground support will lift them as they face another challenge against the Kiwi Ferns.

NRL Media said both the Orchids and the Ferns were kept scoreless in their games against Australia in tough outings for each side, but the Kiwi side will be hoping to build on their opening week together to gel.

The Orchids have a number of new faces who bring international experience, with Therese Aiton and Shae Yvonne De La Cruz coming into the squad, while outside back Jenny Wesley - who played in the Prime Minister's XIII - makes her debut.

The Ferns have also have also made a number of changes to their side, including youngster Mackenzie Wiki coming onto the wing for her debut, with three of their stars Apii Nicholls, Annessa Biddle and Tiana Davison rested.

PNG Kumuls winger Robert Derby is hoping they win and get to the Pacific Cup in 2025.

Derby was a standout in the opening week of the Pacific Championships in PNG's win over the Fiji Bati with the first try of the game, 297 run metres and five tackle breaks.

"It was unreal," Derby told NRL Media.

"During the week, me and the boys were pretty adamant on proving to everyone that we are the stronger team.

"I know we were the underdogs there, a lot of things against us, but the boys got around each other all week and I guess we want to do that again this week - the closer we build our relationship as a team outside of the game, it definitely helps us during the game."

The Kumuls have been kept busy off the training field with a number of engagements, including a visit to Bogi, Lealea Village, home of squad member Morea Morea.

"We were away in Fiji, so we were in enemy territory, and I guess we couldn't have our home crowd there, so it's good now this week we come see these guys out in the village and then hope on Sunday there's a big turnout," Derby said.

"Giving back to the community, I know it means so much to them that they get to see their players in person."

A win over Cook Islands in Port Moresby on Sunday would give the Kumuls a shot at promotion into the Pacific Cup in a play-off final against either Tonga or New Zealand.

"We want to win this weekend and then hopefully next weekend, get up a good game against Tonga or New Zealand, so that's what we're looking forward to," Derby said.

"But first we need to beat Cook Island this week and later on I can worry about pre-season and getting back to the NRL.

"But that's my main focus at the moment. I'm going to play for my country and I'm going to focus on that at the moment."

Both Australian teams are waiting for the final in Sydney.

© Scoop Media

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