Tonga

Samoa recovered from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Tonga 25-17 in the opening match of the Pacific Nations Cup. It was played in deplorable conditions at Apia Park, with standing water and repeat set pieces reducing the field to a bowl of mud and severely limiting attacking rugby. Kicking …

The 2019 Pacific Nations Cup kicks off on Friday evening in North American time with Samoa taking on local rivals Tonga. Both sides have named experimental lineups with their respective coaches taking the opportunity to look at new combinations ahead of the World Cup. Steve Jackson has sprung a surprise …

The 2019 Pacific Nations Cup is set to begin this weekend and for the first time since 2015 – also a World Cup year – there will be North American teams involved. It’s a tournament that many American fans would like to see return to the rotation on a regular …

Los Pumas are a team that captures the imagination of audiences at Rugby World Cups. From one RWC to the next the South Americans have caught the imagination of neutral supporters at venues as well as millions viewing on TV. For RWC 2019 Argentina is the Americas’ participant with the potential …

Tonga have called up uncapped midfielder Mali Hingano for the Pacific Nations Cup following the withdrawal of Tasman’s Fetuli Paea. The 27-year-old Hingano is a native of Australia but qualifies for both Tonga and Samoa on ancestry. He is the only change to the 31-man Ikale Tahi squad. Hingano played …

Up and Under is a weekly feature on Americas Rugby News which reviews the best and worst from games involving the Americas teams over the previous week.   UP Mexico Women 10s, Men’s u19 Mexico made it a special week as they won the Women’s 10s and Men’s u19 competitions …

Uruguay’s hopes for a top-three finish at the World Rugby u20 Trophy were dashed as Tonga took a narrow 29-27 victory on Sunday afternoon in São José dos Campos. After a promising start to their campaign, a sound defeat at the hands of Japan knocked them out of final contention …

The pool stage has come to a close and it’s Finals Day at the World Rugby u20 Trophy in São José dos Campos. All eight teams will be in action playing for their final placement, with Portugal attempting to upset Japan in the main event. There will be Americas teams …

Portugal secured their place in the World Rugby u20 Trophy Final after easing past Tonga by a score of 40-3 on Wednesday afternoon. The power of the Tongan ball carriers proved no match for the speed of the Portuguese attack, with the latter’s superior defense denying their opponents even a …

Japan coach Jamie Joseph has trimmed his Japan squad to 31 players for the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup. While not the final cut for the World Cup, it casts doubt on the hopes of those left out though Joseph has clarified that some players have been rested. Two who are …