Diplomacy on the sidelines: PM Christopher Luxon promotes women's rugby in Tonga

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stepped out of the Pacific Islands Forum on Wednesday to throw a rugby ball around with some young female players from Tonga.

The New Zealand government has given $110,000 to New Zealand Rugby and Tonga Rugby Union to promote women's participation in the sport on the three outer islands: Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua.

The promotion of women's sport in Tonga is particularly significant, given its government told Tonga High School girls shouldn't play such sports because it went against their dignity in 2018.

Luxon took to the field this afternoon to run a few rugby drills with some of the players, including a challenge to "step out" one young woman's defence and make it to the try line, which he did.

Some players RNZ spoke to said they had ambitions to one day represent Tonga, with one saying they got into the game through her brother.

"My brother he used to play rugby and then I saw him and that's why I want to end up playing rugby," she said.

Tonga's Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni Hu'akavameiliku was also at today's event and exchanged rugby shirts with Luxon; giving him a 'number 1' shirt from Tonga, while the New Zealand Prime Minister gave him an All Blacks top with his name on it.

Luxon's wife Amanda was given a shirt, too, and joked she was the real number one after asking if her shirt had the same personalisation as her husband's.

The rugby initiative, funded out of the IDC-funded Pacific Sport for Development pot, will pay for a promotional campaign with a high-profile rugby player, short programmes for girls and a sevens tournament for young teenagers.