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Fiji win Oceania Rugby U20 Challenger

Fiji U20

Fiji warmed up for the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa later this year (29 June to 19 July) by claiming the Oceania Rugby U20 Challenger title.

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Following wins over the U20 sides of Tonga (39-25) and hosts Moane Pasifika (48-19), Fiji rounded off their triumphant campaign with a relatively straightforward 31-17 victory against Samoa at the North Harbour Stadium on Wednesday.

In the first match of the final round of the competition, Tonga snatched victory against Moana Pasifika thanks to Sione Matakaiongo’s last-gasp penalty.

It appeared as though number eight Uikelotu Afeaki’s hat-trick would be in vain, but with seconds remaining, fly-half Matakaiongo kept his nerve to hand the Junior Ikale Tahi their first win of the campaign.

Moana Pasifika had surged into a 17-5 lead but Tonga stuck at it and their resilience was rewarded.

All nine matches were streamed live by RugbyPass TV and you can watch them again in full HERE>>

While Fiji can look forward to mixing it with the best in age-grade international rugby in just under four months, Samoa’s victory over Tonga in round two confirmed their place in the second-tier World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024, which will be played at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, on 2-17 July.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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