Tonga

2009's 8.3 magnitude quake was the most powerful that year and struck shortly before 7am (New Zealand time. (30 Sept in NZ)

RNZI reports the subsequent tsunami waves killed 189 people. 149 in Samoa, 31 in American Samoa and nine in Tonga.

Memorial church services are being held to commemorate the tragedy.

Vunipola will start Sunday’s Japan 2019 opener at No8 as the nations clash in only the third instalment of a narrative that began when Billy’s father and uncle ran out at Twickenham.

Fe’ao and Elisi were on the wrong end of a 101-10 hiding that day, but the occasion left a lasting impression on a wide-eyed six-year-old who was born in Australia but had spent long spells in Tonga.

The Tonga full-back struck up a close relationship with Tuilagi after suffering a foot injury that resulted in eight months of treatment but it has healed in time for him to take part in the World Cup in Japan.

It was during his rehabilitation that he tapped into the experience of Tuilagi, who has finally been restored to full fitness following a sickening run of injuries spanning four years.

The three Pacific rivals will look to fine-tune their preparations for Rugby World Cup 2019 at Eden Park when Samoa take on the New Zealand Heartland XV and Fiji play their final Rugby World Cup preparation test against Tonga.

The inaugural Pasifika Challenge was held in 2017 with Wales beating Tonga 24-6 and the All Blacks defeating Manu Samoa 78-0.

The All Blacks, who name their 31-man World Cup squad next week play Tonga in Hamilton on September 7th before facing South Africa in their opening Pool B clash two weeks later.

Hansen said he was wary of his first-choice players losing sharpness between last weekend's 36-0 victory over Australia at Eden Park and their World Cup opener.

"We'd like probably most of the frontliners to get some form of game-time in the Tonga game, otherwise it's too big a break before we play South Africa," Hansen said in comments published by Stuff Media.

Tonga, already hampered by the late withdrawal of the inspirational Nasi Manu, had two players in the sin-bin when Afasetiti Amosa and then Belgium Tuatagaloa swung the game Samoa's way with tries in the closing minutes.

Torrential rain before kick-off reduced Apia Park to a quagmire which impacted on the game as a spectacle despite a willingness by both sides to throw the ball around.

The proposal has the backing of Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi following the successful hosting of the XVI Samoa Pacific Games.

According to Tuilaepa, the formal proposal for the new Games to become a reality will be tabled in the upcoming Polynesian Leaders yearly meeting in Tuvalu in the margins of the Pacific Island Forum Leaders annual summit.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said today the format of the pools would ensure key rivals face each other in the fast-paced, action packed short form of Rugby League.

During the official launch of the tournament Monday in Parramatta, it was revealed that:

In fact, their current training camp in Auckland ahead of the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup is “one of the best” Manu Samoa have had, according to star prop Logovi’i Mulipola.

The Newcastle Falcons prop is part of head coach Steve Jackson’s 31-man squad for the pre-World Cup tournament, and told One News of how much different their lead-up to the 2019 spectacle has been compared to recent competitions, which have often been dogged by poor resources and lacklustre training conditions.

The Kingdom trailed 15-3 midway through the first half before scoring four straight tries to lead 29-15 just before the hour mark.

The South Americans were awarded a penalty try to cut the deficit to seven points with 22 minutes remaining and scored again two minutes into stoppage time but missed a conversion that would have levelled the scores.

The boot of Baby 'Ikale Tahi first five Filipe Samate proved the difference in the match as he opened the scoring with a penalty and converted three of Tonga's four tries.