Niue national rugby union team

The Niue Island national rugby union team is the national team of the third tier rugby union playing nation of Niue Island. The team first started playing in 1983 in mainly competes in the Oceania Cup, which it won in 2008.[1] Rugby union in Niue Island is administered by the Niue Rugby Football Union.

Niue
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameTo'a Niue XV
UnionNiue Rugby Football Union
Head coachMetric Ikitoelagi
CaptainLuke Gibb
First colours
World Rugby ranking
Current101 (as of 29 January 2024)
Highest94 (23 November 2020)
First international
 Fiji 124–4 Niue 
(Apia, Samoa; 10 September 1983)
Biggest win
 Niue 87–0 Nauru 
(Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; 31 August 2019)
Biggest defeat
 Fiji 124–4 Niue 
(Apia, Samoa; 10 September 1983)

Results

edit

Niue's first international match was at the 1983 South Pacific Games in Suva against hosts Fiji. The Niueans managed to score a try against the eventual tournament winners but were defeated by 124–4.[2] The team found success in the 2008 Oceania Cup, defeating New Caledonia by 27–5 in the final on 1 September 2008.[1]

As of 29 May 2013, Niue was ranked 71st in the IRB world rankings. The team had played 10 international matches by that time, four against the Cook Islands and three against Tahiti. Other matches have been against Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.[2]

Players

edit

Some of Niue's best players are professionals in New Zealand. Former Niue captain Matt Faleuka played for Northland before moving to Italian club Overmach Rugby Parma in 2007.

While the Niue and the Cook Islands teams did not compete in the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004 (but not in 2006).

The Niue sevens team have been active in the IRB World Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.

Record

edit

World Cup

edit
World Cup record
Year Qualification status
   1987 Not invited
    1991 did not enter
  1995 did not enter
  1999 did not enter
  2003 did not qualify
  2007 did not qualify
  2011 did not qualify
  2015 did not qualify
  2019 did not qualify

Overall

edit
Against Played Won Lost Drawn % Won
  Cook Islands 7 2 5 0 28.57%
  Fiji 1 0 1 0 0%
  Nauru 1 1 0 0 100%
  New Caledonia 2 2 0 0 100%
  Papua New Guinea 3 0 3 0 0%
  Solomon Islands 3 1 2 0 33.33%
  Tahiti 4 3 1 0 75%
  Vanuatu 2 2 0 0 100%
Total 23 11 12 0 47.83%

Current squad

edit

The squad was selected for the 2019 Oceania Rugby Cup.

Player Position Club
Luke Gibb (c) Hooker   Paremata-Plimmerton RFC
Matthew Jackson Hooker   Krueger Crocs
Samuel Ikihega Prop   Moorabbin Rams
Stephen Tapuosi Prop   Chicago Lions
Morre Tukuniu Prop   Southern Marlins
Maloney Taleni Prop   Otahuhu RFC
Pierce Makaola Lock   Northern Panthers
George Pamatatau Lock   North Brisbane Rugby Club
Auston Puhotau Lock   North Brisbane Rugby Club
Sagele Harrison Lock   unknown
Quinton Strickland Flanker   Footscray R.U.F.C.
Togatule Kose Flanker   Mareeba Gladiators
Nick Laufoli Flanker   Kava Club
Randy Liuvaie Number 8   Freyberg Old Boys RFC
Khalum Halo Scrum-half   Manukau Rovers RFC
Gavin Patuki Scrum-half   Southern Cross
Shaun-Adam Atamu Fly-half   Bombay R.F.C.
David Pamatatau Fly-half   unknown
Anthony Liuvaie Centre   Old Boys University RFC
Lepau Feau-Fuhiniu Centre   Old Boys University RFC
Dawson Mele Centre   Southern Cross
Cyruss Payne Wing   Marist Saints
Tui Leatigaga Wing   Camden Rugby
Dee Saele Nanai Wing   Manukau Rovers
Tonga Tongotongo Wing   Manukau Rovers
Kegan Tuhega Fullback   Pine Rivers Bears Junior League Club
Logan Norman Fullback   Bangor RFC

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Niue take Oceania Cup rugby union final" Archived 16 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, ABC Radio Australia, 1 September 2008
  2. ^ a b "Niue test rugby scores". Rugby International. 21 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
edit