Niue national rugby union team

The Niue Island national rugby union team is the national team of the third tier rugby union playing nation of Niue Island. The team first started playing in 1983 in mainly competes in the Oceania Cup, which it won in 2008.[1] Rugby union in Niue Island is administered by the Niue Rugby Football Union.

Niue
Nickname(s)Toa Niue
UnionNiue Rugby Football Union
Head coachMetric Ikitoelagi
CaptainLuke Gibb
First colours
World Rugby ranking
Current94 (as of 23 November 2020)
First international
Fiji  124 - 4  Niue
(Apia, Samoa; 10 September 1983)
Biggest win
Niue  87 - 0  Nauru
(Port Moresby, PNG; 31 August 2019)
Biggest defeat
Fiji  124 - 4  Niue
(Apia, Samoa; 10 September 1983)

Results

Niue's first international match was at the 1983 South Pacific Games in Suva against hosts Fiji. The Niueans managed to score a try against the eventual tournament winners but were defeated by 124–4.[2] The team found success in the 2008 Oceania Cup, defeating New Caledonia by 27–5 in the final on 1 September 2008.[1]

As of 29 May 2013, Niue was ranked 71st in the IRB world rankings. The team had played 10 international matches by that time, four against the Cook Islands and three against Tahiti. Other matches have been against Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu.[2]

Players

Some of Niue's best players are professionals in New Zealand. Former Niue captain Matt Faleuka played for Northland before moving to Italian club Overmach Rugby Parma in 2007.

While the Niue and the Cook Islands teams did not compete in the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004 (but not in 2006).

The Niue sevens team have been active in the IRB World Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.

Record

World Cup
World Cup record
Year Qualification status
1987Not invited
1991Did not enter
1995Did not enter
1999Did not enter
2003Did not qualify
2007Did not qualify
2011Did not qualify
2015Did not qualify
2019Did not qualify

Overall
Against Played Won Lost Drawn % Won
 Cook Islands725028.57
 Fiji10100.00
 Nauru1100100.00
 New Caledonia2200100.00
 Papua New Guinea30300.00
 Solomon Islands312066.66
 Tahiti431075.00
 Vanuatu2200100.00
Total231112047.82%

Current squad

The squad was selected for the 2019 Oceania Rugby Cup.

Player Position Club
Luke Gibb (c) Hooker Paremata-Plimmerton RFC
Matthew Jackson Hooker Krueger Crocs
Samuel Ikihega Prop Moorabbin Rams
Stephen Tapuosi Prop Chicago Lions
Morre Tukuniu Prop Southern Marlins
Maloney Taleni Prop Otahuhu RFC
Pierce Makaola Lock Northern Panthers
George Pamatatau Lock North Brisbane Rugby Club
Auston Puhotau Lock North Brisbane Rugby Club
Sagele Harrison Lock unknown
Quinton Strickland Flanker Footscray R.U.F.C.
Togatule Kose Flanker Mareeba Gladiators
Nick Laufoli Flanker Kava Club
Randy Liuvaie Number 8 Freyberg Old Boys RFC
Khalum Halo Scrum-half Manukau Rovers RFC
Gavin Patuki Scrum-half Southern Cross
Shaun-Adam Atamu Fly-half Bombay R.F.C.
David Pamatatau Fly-half unknown
Anthony Liuvaie Centre Old Boys University RFC
Lepau Feau-Fuhiniu Centre Old Boys University RFC
Dawson Mele Centre Southern Cross
Cyruss Payne Wing Marist Saints
Tui Leatigaga Wing Camden Rugby
Dee Saele Nanai Wing Manukau Rovers
Tonga Tongotongo Wing Manukau Rovers
Kegan Tuhega Fullback Pine Rivers Bears Junior League Club
Logan Norman Fullback Bangor RFC

See also

References
  1. "Niue take Oceania Cup rugby union final" Archived 16 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, ABC Radio Australia, 1 September 2008
  2. "Niue test rugby scores". Rugby International. 21 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.


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