Women’s Rugby in the Pacific: Challenges? Did You Say Challenges?
Fair Game: Pacific Rugby Against the WorldShow Notes
Pasifika women just want to play the game they love but they're fighting for even fewer resources than their male counterparts. They're also battling to change traditional mindsets about women in rugby. "I mean, we were already fighting for crumbs, we were fighting for the crumbs off the crumbs." Samoan women's team manager, Tauanu'u Nick Bakulich, says resources are a constant issue: It doesn't help that four years ago Tonga's Ministry of Education told girls they shouldn't be playing rugby because it went against their dignity and Tongan culture and traditions. Sports Journalist, Talei Anderson tells us that while this decree was quickly overturned in the face of widespread public condemnation, it still leaves the question: what role do culture and traditions have when Pacific women play the game? But Vela Naucukidi, Women's Development Officer for Fiji's Rugby Union, says change is coming slowly and some success has already arrived. She recalls the Fijiana's bronze medal winning effort at the 2021 Olympics: "I broke down after the match when we were back at the village when my messenger was flooded with videos of males cheering for us. That was the turning point... To me that was the biggest achievement because it took me about 20 years to change mindsets." Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
More from Fair Game: Pacific Rugby Against the World
As Samoa and Fiji face off at the Pacific Nations Cup, rugby bosses say they're trying to close the gap between the top playing nations and the Pacific. And a new generation of Pasifika are ready to take their place at the table.
Fijian rugby is doing better than its island neighbours but within World Rugby vast disaparites still exist between playing nations. Fijian rugby is in much better shape than their competitive cousins in Tonga and Samoa. Why is that? Simon Raiwalui, former captain of the Flying Fijians and current head of Fiji's High Performance Program, holds some of the answers. With his deep knowledge of the European club rugby scene and World Rugby politics, he can see a positive future. ''If we get the same table laid out for us as every other nation, I think we can compete with any nation in the world. I believe that wholeheartedly.'' But inside World Rugby, vast disparities exist between the nations, as World Rugby council member for Oceania, Cathy Wong explains: "You have some countries that have three votes, and some countries have one vote. Some countries have no vote.... When will that change? How will it change?" Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
"We don't get the resources the big nations get." In Samoa even the school kids know the score. Has inequality become normalised? ''The big dream is for me is just this team fulfilling their potential that has been talked about for so many years.'' In Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapasua, head coach of Manu Samoa, says he wants to take his team on a journey: But series host, James Nokise, gets emotional about the realities the team face: 'If it's 2022 and that's as good as a country like Samoa can expect, what are we doing?'' Back in Samoa, we hear from kids at a school tournament who know the score. ''We don't get the resources the big nations get, so we can prepare ourselves''' But it's obvious this inequality has become so embedded in the system that it is now considered normal. Former Samoa captain and head of Pacific Rugby Players Welfare Dan Leo is determined to ask hard questions about the way Pacific players are seen: ''Where is that line drawn between opportunity and exploitation?'' There are stark choices to be made: as Kasiano Lealamanua, another of John's former teammates and now the only registered Pasifika player agent in New Zealand, puts it: ''Sometimes they have to choose between representing their country or not being paid. As PI people, a paycheck for us isn't just for us. You know, we're feeding not only a family, but we could be supporting multiple people in that village ...'' Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Pasifika players have brought so much to the game of rugby - what have they got in return? James Nokise remembers the glory days of the Samoan team from the 1990s as a kid wrapped in a rug watching his heroes on the TV. Almost three decades after rugby turned professional, he sits down with the former All Black great, Sir Tuifa'asisina Bryan Williams. As coach of Manu Samoa through the '90s and current patron of Moana Pasifika, the first professional team run by Pasifika for Pasifika, Sir Bryan understands the challenges Pacific players face. ''The powers that be decided there was no place for Pasifika in Super Rugby, which at the time for me and a number of others was absolutely galling - a great sense of disappointment, a great sense of grievance...'' One of the first Pasifika All Blacks, Sir Bryan went on to be President of New Zealand Rugby and he has a deep experience of how the system works: ''It's not a fair game now. Because it's obvious that certainly the island nations haven't got enough money.'' We also talk politics of rugby with World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and NZRPA chief Rob Nichol. And Ikale Tahi centre, Fine Inisi and Professor Lisa Uperesa discuss the way the powerful protect their own interests in the sporting world and how that impacts players and the game. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
Tongan players talk about tough choices and a huge gap in resources between powerful rugby nations and the Pacific. And they ask: ''Is this structural racism?" "It's racism, structural racism - the home unions know the threat, I think of our smaller unions getting too strong." Pakilau Aotearoa Manase Lua, Tongan elder and member of NZ Rugby's Pacific Action Group, talks about the tough choices faced by players and the vast gap in resources between the powerful and the Pacific islands - and draws a troubling conclusion. Former Tonga and Highlanders backrower and current Pacific Rugby Players head Hale T Pole tells us about how that gap led to some unconventional fundraising methods. "We're all wearing undies, dye our hair, everything." And the challenges he faces every day. ''Don't ever compare us, the Pacific Islands, to what other emerging nations have gone through. There's no comparison.'' Wallaby great and current Tonga coach Toutai Kefu discusses the impact of all these issues on the players' mindset. John's former Lions teammate and ex-Tonga captain Inoke Afeaki likens the exodus of Tongan players to overseas clubs to a "slave trade' but the Tongan Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, argues that the problems with World Rugby are "being resolved". Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details