Pacific

Tongan rugby votes in first democratically elected board in two years

10:31 am on 28 May 2012

The newly elected board of the Tonga Rugby Union is expected to have it's first meeting today.

The board, led by former 'Ikale Tahi international Epeli Taione, was voted in on Saturday - marking the country's first democratically elected administration in two years.

In 2010 the Tonga government set up the Tonga Rugby Union Authority to administer the game, to address the International Rugby Board's concerns over the way the union's constitution was being applied.

The ordinance expired in February of this year, with an interim administration having presided over the newly formed Tonga Rugby Union until Saturday's Special General Meeting.

The outgoing Interim Executive Director of the Tonga Rugby Union, Aminiasi Kefu, says it's now up to the new administration to keep the sport on the right track.

"Looking forward I think there will be more stability and hopefully there's no more infighting will happen. As for the quality of leadership that's"

been brought in, that's subject to wait and see but I'm sure Epeli will get all the support that he'll have from his board members and also his supporters outside the board.