Tahiti national rugby union team
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| Union |
Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Head coach | Romi Ropati | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Tunui Anania | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||
  (1 September, 1971) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 (16 June 2001) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played just 12 games to date, four against the Cook Islands and three against Niue. Other games have been played against Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. France played a match against Tahiti at the end of their 1979 tour and won 92-12.[1] Plans to have annual "test" match series against Pacific island neighbours, New Caledonia have been put on hold, due to time, availability, finances, and coaching and refereeing resources. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française. Currently, players who have represented or played for the Tahiti national rugby team, are eligible to represent France. However, playing at a professional level can only enable this. At present there are several Tahitian professional rugby players abroad in France’s Top 14 and Pro D2 professional competition.
Overall
Tahiti are currently ranked 85th on the World Rugby Rankings table.[2]
World Cup
| World Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A |
  | Not invited | ||||||
  | Did not quality | ||||||
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| Did not participate | ||||||
 | Did not quality | ||||||
 | To be determined | ||||||
| To be determined | ||||||
| Total | 0/8 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Squad
Squad to 2017 Oceania Rugby Cup:[3]
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Forwards
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Backs
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Notable players
| Player | Notability |
|---|---|
| Timi Frogier | |
| Richard Mapuhi | Played for French Club Pau in Pro D2 (49 caps, 1990-1994) |
| Tauirai Bessert | |
| Apolosi Foliaki | |
| Tihoti Tamarono |
Guest players
These players were capped for Tahiti in an invitational match against France to celebrate Bastille Day in Papeete on 14 July 1981:
- Enrique Rodríguez (dual international for Argentina & Australia)[4]
- Brett Codlin (All Blacks, 1980)
- Robert Kururangi (All Blacks, 1978 & Māori All Blacks, 1982)
- Tim Twigden (All Blacks, 1979–80)
See also
References
- ↑
- Vivian Jenkins, ed. (1980). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1980-81. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 0-362-02018-3.
- ↑ World Rugby.org (20 April 2015). "World Rugby Rankings". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ↑ http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/matches/match=14273/index.html
- ↑ Irene Watt (2 April 2012). "Enrique TOPO Rodríguez talks rugby". Retrieved 22 April 2015.