Pacific

Sports news in brief for June 7

12:05 pm on 7 June 2023

Florencina Kalifa celebrates her goal against Koloale FC in Port Moresby. Photo: Shane Wenzlick

Football - Champions League

Thirteen-year-old Samoan footballer Florencina Kalifa became the youngest player to score a goal in the Oceania women's Champions League.

She scored Samoan club Kiwi FC's only goal in their 1-2 loss to Solomon Islands club Koloale FC.

New Caledonia's AS Academy Féminine beat Fiji's Labasa 4-1 at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby, for their second straight victory.

Rugby - rankings

Samoa is now the highest ranked Pacific nation in women's rugby.

Manusina XV's win in the just-completed Oceania Championship has seen them move up two places to 16th.

Fiji has slipped three places to 19th.

Tonga remains 29th and Papua New Guinea 49th.

England tops the women's rankings, followed by New Zealand and France.

Rugby - Leali'ifano

Moana Pasifika flyhalf and former Wallaby Christian Leali'ifano has made himself available for Manu Samoa.

Leali'ifano told media following Moana Pasifika's victory over the Waratahs on the weekend he is finalising paperwork that would make him eligible to play for Samoa.

Under new World Rugby rules, players can swap international jerseys if they haven't played for their original country for at least three years.

Leali'ifano last played for Australia in 2019.

Cricket - qualifiers

Several young Pacific teams will aim to qualify for the 2024 Under-19 Cricket World Cup at the upcoming East Asia Pacific qualifier.

The regional qualifier starts June 12, with Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu taking part.

Cricket.com.au reports the winner of the qualifier will join three other nations - one each from Africa, Europe and the Americas - as the final four sides in the 16-team World Cup in Sri Lanka.

Pacific Games - officers

One hundred and thirty public servants, teachers and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) officers will help the 2023 Pacific Games Organising Committee in the Solomon Islands in the deliverance of the region's top meet in November.

This follows Solomon Islands' government's decision to second the officers to the Games Organising Committtee.

Solomon Islands will host the Games in Honiara from November 19 to December 2.