Rugby union at the Pacific Games

Rugby union at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when included as one of ten sports at the first games held in Suva, Fiji.[1] Rugby sevens is the form of rugby now played at the Pacific Games, with men's and women's tournaments (for 7-a-side teams) included in the current schedule. The women's competition was added for the first time at the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa.

Prior to the late 1990s the men's tournament at the South Pacific Games, as it was then known, was contested by national rugby union teams (i.e. 15-a-side). The shorter tournament structure of rugby sevens being better suited to multi-sports events led to the change of format.

In 2014, Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in some events for the 2015 Pacific Games,[2] and the Australian women's sevens team was subsequently confirmed as a competitor for the women's tournament in Port Moresby.[3]

Rugby sevens is also played at the Pacific Mini Games, and was included for the first time at Pago Pago in 1997.

Pacific Games

Men's tournament

The men's tournament is now played as a rugby sevens competition (for 7-a-side teams). From 1963 until 1995 the competition was for national rugby union teams (15-a-side). The first two events in 1963 and 1966 were played as round-robin competitions only and, as such, did not include finals.

Games Year Host city Final Third Place Ref
Gold Score Silver Bronze
Rugby 15s
I 1963 () Suva Fiji  round
robin		  Tonga  Western Samoa [4][5]
II 1966 () Nouméa Papua New Guinea round
robin		  New Caledonia New Hebrides [6]
III 1969 () Port Moresby Fiji  88–3  Papua New Guinea  New Caledonia [7]
IV 1971 () Papeete Western Samoa  23–9 Cook Islands  Tahiti [8][9]
[10]
V 1975 No rugby tournament in 1975 
VI 1979 () Suva Tonga  6–3  Fiji  New Caledonia [11][12]
VII 1983 () Apia Fiji  18–10  Western Samoa  Tonga [13]
VIII 1987 () Nouméa New Caledonia  22–9  Cook Islands  Tahiti [14][15]
[16]
IX 1991 () Port Moresby Western Samoa  34–7  American Samoa  Solomon Islands [17][18]
X 1995 () Papeete New Caledonia  12–8
13–3		  Tahiti n/a [19][14]
[upper-alpha 1]
Rugby 7s
XI 1999 () Santa Rita Fiji  40–12  Papua New Guinea  Vanuatu [20][21]
[22][upper-alpha 2]
XII 2003 () Suva Fiji  43–10  Cook Islands  Samoa [26]
XIII 2007 () Apia Samoa  26–19  Fiji  Papua New Guinea [27][28]
[29]
XIV 2011 () Nouméa Samoa  21–19  Fiji  Papua New Guinea

[30]

XV 2015 () Port Moresby Fiji  33–7  Samoa  Tonga [31]

Women's tournament

Rugby sevens for women was added to the Pacific Games schedule in 2011 at Nouméa.

Games Year Host city Final Third Place Ref
Gold Score Silver Bronze
Rugby 7s
XIV 2011 () Nouméa Fiji  43–7  Samoa  Papua New Guinea
XV 2015 () Port Moresby Fiji  12–10  Australia  Papua New Guinea [31]

Medal table

The all-time medal standings for rugby at the Pacific Games, including the South Pacific Games, from 1963–present is collated in the table below. This includes 15s and 7s versions of rugby union and both men's and women's events, but does not include medals from the Mini Games.

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Fiji83011
2 Samoa[upper-alpha 3]4329
3 New Caledonia2125
4 Papua New Guinea1247
5 Tonga1124
6 Cook Islands0303
7 Tahiti0123
8 American Samoa0101
 Australia0101
10 Vanuatu[upper-alpha 4]0022
11 Solomon Islands0011
Totals (11 nations)16161547

Pacific Mini Games

Men's tournament

Games Year Host city Final Third Place Ref
Gold Score Silver Bronze
Rugby 15s
II 1985 () Rarotonga Cook Islands   New Caledonia  Tahiti [32][33]
[34]
Rugby 7s
V 1997 () Pago Pago Samoa  57–0  American Samoa  Solomon Islands [35][36]
VII 2009 () Rarotonga Samoa  36–12  Fiji  Tonga [37]
IX 2013 () Mata-Utu Samoa  31–12  Fiji  Tonga [38]
X 2017 () Port Vila Samoa  14–7  Fiji  Tonga [39][40][41]

Medal table

The all-time medal standings for rugby at the Pacific Mini Games, including the South Pacific Mini Games, from 1985–present is collated in the table below. This includes 15s and 7s versions of rugby union and both men's and women's events.

All-time medal table – Pacific Mini Games Rugby
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Samoa4004
2 Cook Islands1001
3 Fiji0303
4 American Samoa0101
 New Caledonia0101
6 Tonga0033
7 Solomon Islands0011
 Tahiti0011
Totals (8 nations)55515

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ As reported in Pacific Islands Monthly, Tahiti had agreed to host rugby union for the 1995 games.[42] Initially it was decided to host 22 sports but 4 others were added (netball, squash, surfing and powerlifting).[43]
  2. ↑ Vanuatu won a medal for rugby sevens at the 1999 SPG.[23] The team defeated the Solomon Islands in the play-off for the bronze.[24][25]
  3. ↑ Includes medals won as Western Samoa
  4. ↑ Includes medals won as New Hebrides

References

  1. ↑ "PNG is sending a team to Suva for the South Pacific Games". The Canberra Times. 2 August 1969. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Australia and New Zealand to compete in Pacific Games". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Chand, Shalveen (30 April 2015). "History for 2015 Pacific Games". The Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  4. ↑ 1963 South Pacific Games: Official Report and Results. Oceania Sport Information Centre (Report). pp. 44–47. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. ↑ South Pacific Games 1963. ESPN Scrum.
  6. ↑ South Pacific Games 1966. ESPN Scrum.
  7. ↑ South Pacific Games 1969. ESPN Scrum.
  8. ↑ "South Pacific Games". The Rugby Archive. 1971. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  9. ↑ South Pacific Games 1971. ESPN Scrum.
  10. ↑ "Blast from the past". Cook Islands News. 29 July 2017. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  11. ↑ South Pacific Games 1979. ESPN Scrum.
  12. ↑ "South Pacific Games results". Pacific Islands Monthly. Pacific Publications. 50 (10). p. 138 (Rugby Union). 1979. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "South Pacific Games". The Rugby Archive. 1983. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  14. 1 2 "André Thévenot: du pré aux plages de Nouméa". La Dépêche (in French). 2 March 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  15. ↑ 1987 South Pacific Games Results. Oceania Sport Information Centre (Report). p. 6. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  16. ↑ New Caledonian stamp for the 1987 games depicting rugby. "New Caledonia 1987". eBay. 2015. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "South Pacific Games". The Rugby Archive. 1991. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  18. ↑ Cruickshank, Mark Aaron (2011). "Data updates: Rugby at the South Pacific Games". Rugby international. Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  19. ↑ "Jeux du Pacifique Sud". Mazlenaz (in French). Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  20. ↑ "1999 South Pacific Games Results". Oceania Sport Information Centre. pp. 86–89. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Medal Tally by Sport". SPG 99. 1999. Archived from the original on 4 March 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "South Pacific Games 1999 - Guam". Pacific Games Council. 11 October 2010. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  23. ↑ "Annual Report" (PDF 3.5 MB). Sporting Pulse. Vanuatu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee. 1999. p. 1. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  24. ↑ "1999 Team Vanuatu to 11th SPG, Guam". Sports Pulse. VASNOC. 16 December 2011. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  25. ↑ Rugby burst into Guam’s consciousness during the 1999 South Pacific Games held on Guam. "Full Contact For H.S. Girl's Rugby". Pacific News Center. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  26. ↑ "South Pacific Games - Suva". Rugby7.com. 2003. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "South Pacific Games - Apia". Rugby7.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  28. ↑ Gold Medal Game. Sporting Pulse. 2007.
  29. ↑ Bronze Medal Game. Sporting Pulse. 2007.
  30. ↑ "South Pacific Games - Noumea". Rugby7.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Fiji takes rugby 7s double gold". Port Moresby 2015. 10 July 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "2nd Mini South Pacific Games: Raratonga 31st July ~ 9th August 1985" (PDF). Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee. 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  33. ↑ "Our History". Cook Islands Rugby. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  34. ↑ "Tekaotiki Matapo "Tiki"". Sporting Pulse. Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee. 15 January 2011. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  35. ↑ Final Results August 11–21. 1997: 5th South Pacific Mini Games. Oceania Sport Information Centre (Report). pp. 48–50. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  36. ↑ "Rugby 7s medals". 1997 South Pacific Mini Games. 1999. Archived from the original on 6 October 1999. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  37. ↑ "South Pacific Games - Rarotonga". Rugby7.com. 2003. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  38. ↑ "South Pacific Games - Mata-Utu". Rugby7.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  39. ↑ Rugby 7 results
  40. ↑ "Rugby gold" (PDF). Van 2017. 9 December 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  41. ↑ "Rugby bronze" (PDF). Van 2017. 9 December 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  42. ↑ Singh, Shailendra (1994). "Sport". Pacific Islands Monthly. Pacific Publications. 64 (6). p. 62, col. 2, para. 3. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  43. ↑ Singh, Shailendra (1994). "Sport". Pacific Islands Monthly. Pacific Publications. 64 (6). p. 62, col. 2, para. 2. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
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