Two British players fight for the ball with Fiji's Reapi Uluinasau in the women's bronze medal rugby sevens match at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Photo: AFP
7s star Uluinasau bolsters Fijiana 15s campaign
2023 World Rugby Sevens Series Impact Player of the Series, Reapi Uluinasau, has been called into the Fijiana 15s squad for their upcoming test against Australia and the Oceania Championship.
Uluinasau is among five uncapped players - along with Ana Korovata, Mereoni Nakesa, Setaita Railumu and Jennifer Ravutia - named to meet the Wallaroos in Sydney on Saturday.
Fijiana will see 12 players return to the 28-member squad that featured in last year's Rugby World Cup.
This includes Iris Verebalavu and Rachel Laqeretabua who have joined the squad from Australia.
Draw for women's football tournament made
The draw for the Oceania U-19 Women's Championship, to be held in Fiji from June 21-July 8, has been finalised.
The tournament will see ten nations from across the Pacific competing, with New Zealand defending the title they won in 2019.
The ten sides were split into three groups: one group of four and two groups of three.
From those groups the eight quarter-finalists will emerge.
Flying Fijians' French warm-up
Fiji will play France in a warm-up match ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Fiji Rugby Union administrator Simione Valenitabua, who is currently in France, has confirmed that the green light had been given by the French Federation of Rugby for the hosts to play the Flying Fijians on August 19.
Valenitabua will also travel to England this week to meet with the Rugby Football Union of England about Fiji's scheduled second warm-up match with England on August 26.
Kapuls train-on side not final says PNGFA official
A Papua New Guinea Football Association official says players named in the men's national team train-on-squad by head coach Harrison Kamake is subject for review.
The comments come after concerns were raised on how the selection for the 33-man squad was made, questioning fitness and injury status of certain players.
"We will observe all these players at the national camp coming up next week. Only then can we assess these players and make our best judgements to keep or exclude them," technical directory Percy Mataio told The National.
Several players named are reported to have injuries, while some have not been actively competing in national leagues, which raised questions on the criteria and metrics used by the association to select the team.
PNG play Singapore in an international friendly on June 12.
Top badminton players expected in Marianas
The Northern Marianas will be hosting two 2024 Paris Olympic badminton qualifying tournaments next month, which are expected to attract more than 100 of the world's top players.
Chinese Taipei has the most participants so far with more than 30, while four countries have registered at least 10 players for each competition.
The first Olympic qualifier will be the Marianas Open starting June 6, followed by the Saipan International, starting June 13.
Australian power coach helping Solomon Islands athletes
Simon Bergner, a strength and conditioning coach from Australia, is back at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) to work with athletes.
Bergner will be working with athletes in weightlifting, powerlifting, para powerlifting, and bodybuilding, assisting them in training preparations.
This would be Bergner's third stint in the country, he was previously in-country to assist the 'Para Powerlifting' team during the Oceania Paralympic Camp.
"I was only here a few weeks ago doing some technique advice, coach mentoring, and some programming principles. I look forward to progressing all that we have already worked on over the last few times I have been here," he told the Solomons Star.