Article: Sports in Tonga

 Sports in Tonga

Information sourced from Topend Sports and Oceania Olympic Committee.

Tonga is very passionate about sports. 

Rugby Union

When you talk sports in Tonga, you talk about Rugby Union. It is the Tongan national sport. Their national team, known as the ʻIkale Tahi (Sea Eagles), has been making waves on the international stage, and is doing quite well. Tonga has produced many remarkable young players who are either migrated or poached by other countries like New Zealand, England, and Australia in dreams of bigger and better competition and recognition. Tonga has been in the Rugby World Cup since 1987. Much like most of the Pasifika Rugby union teams, Tonga performs their Sipi Tau (the Ikale Tahi war dance) before every game. The current captain for ‘Ikale Tahi is Siale Piutau.

Rugby League

Another sport that is starting to get bigger in Tonga is Rugby League. Similar game, but not. Like Rugby Union, a lot of young players that come from Tonga are poached to other countries (Australia, New Zealand and England) where the Rugby League competition is. In recent years, Tonga has pushed their way into successfully playing against the top teams, with players in the NRL who have Tongan heritage wanting to come back and represent Tonga. Right now, they are the fourth ranked team in the world. The team is associated with the Tongan phrase “Mate Ma’a Tonga” representing their country proudly in a red and white strip. The current co-captains for the Rugby League team are Sio Siua Taukeiaho and Jason Taumalolo.

Olympics

The Tonga National Olympic Committee was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1984. It sprang from the Tonga National Olympic Committee which was created in 1961 as the Tonga Amateur Sports Association (TASA) to prepare athletes for the inaugural South Pacific Games. Tonga won its first and currently only Olympic Games medal when boxer Paea Wolfgramm won a silver medal in the Summer Games of 1996 held in Atlanta, USA. Two-time Tongan flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua has competed at his second Olympics in Taekwondo.

Other popular sports in Tonga include American football (Gridiron), Boxing, Australian Rules Football (Soccer), Cricket, and Luge.