Swimming

American Samoa's Micah Masei is competing in the Men's 100m Breastroke, where the heats kick off on the 27th July, 9pm NZST (27th July, 4am Central Time in the USA)

Rugby Sevens

Some disciplines, including the Men's Rugby Sevens, started before the official Opening Ceremony of the Games.

Fiji have secured a place in the Semi-Finals continuing their undefeated streak at the Olympics, they go up against Australia 28th July, 2am NZST (27th July, 9am Central Time in the USA).…more

As the world gears up for the spectacle of the 2024 Paris Olympics, amidst the grandeur and glory, 105 athletes from the Pacific Islands are ready to make waves of their own. 

From the small Micronesian country of Palau to the mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea, these competitors bring not just their incredible talent but also the spirit Pasifika culture to the global stage. Get to know the athletes representing the Moana here; and stay updated on what days they take to the global stage of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad!

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American Samoa 

‘Le Motu o Fiafiaga’ sends two athletes to the 2024 Summer Olympics, in swimmer Micah Masei Men’s 100m breaststroke and track star/flagbearer Filomenaleonisa Iakopo in the Women’s 100m

Team American Samoa: Micah Masei, Filomenaleonisa Iakopo

Cook Islands

Avaiki Nui will also be sending two athletes to Paris, with Lanihei Connolly looking to make a splash in the Women’s 100m breastroke, and Alex Beddoes taking to the track in the Men’s 800m.…more

OPINION

Although Pacific people are the highest percentage of All Blacks and Black Ferns, there’s still no Pasifika seat at the New Zealand Rugby board.

Pasifika communities and allies are fighting for fair representation in governance. As a sport academic, and son of a Pacific community rugby pioneer, I stand in solidarity.

As a child, in 1997, I remember seeing my dad in meetings with Auckland Rugby.

My dad Fa’alafitele Faupapa Enari organised Pacific rugby tournaments and coached Auckland Samoa and Ulalei rugby teams. I remember hearing the condescending patronising remarks from union representatives to my dad and other Pasifika elders. Sadly, today, much hasn’t changed. It’s just masked better.

Looking at how far New Zealand Rugby has come; you cannot deny that Māori and Pasifika people made New Zealand rugby as we know it and platformed it to the world.

One must only look at legends such as La’auli Sir Michael Jones, the late Jonah Lomu to current players such as Ardie Savea, plus the many more Pacific brothers who wore the black jersey.…more

Fiji is uniquely the only rugby nation in the world to win Olympic gold in modern times and coach Osea Kolinisau insists his team is looking to continue that unique legacy in Paris in two week’s time.

The Paris Olympic 7s kicks off on 24 of July and the whole of Fiji is hoping for the ‘threepeat’, the miraculous achievement of winning all three Olympic rugby gold medals since the sport was introduced in 2016.

The idea that this Fijian team is not as motivated as the original gold medal-winning teams of 2016 and 2021 was rubbished by the legendary, former captain who is now looking to become a great coach.

‘I will correct you of that thought. We are really hungry for that win,’ said Kolinisau this week from Libourne near the south-west coast of France.…more

"My background was completely different from your average collegiate swimmer, which for a while made me a bit insecure, but now it is something I am proud of. I grew up in a country where we did not have proper facilities or a swimming pool, so we trained in the ocean. I am slowly overcoming it and understanding that the pathway to the Olympics looks different for so many athletes. Mine might not be the most conventional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way."

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As the first Olympic swimmer born and raised in Tonga, Day’s achievements are historic. Her goals extend beyond swimming, as she pursues degrees in Human Biology and Documentary Film, while also working at USC. Balancing her academics, future career plans, and Olympic training has required strategic preparation and time management.

Day’s swimming journey started in Tonga, a collection of islands without an Olympic-size pool. Her early training was in the ocean and at makeshift facilities like hotel pools and navy bases.…more

Polynesians and fight fans around the world are celebrating the victory of Samoan-Australian Cruiserweight boxer Jai Opetaia after he defeated Mairis Briedis of Latvia for the vacant IBF World Cruiserweight Title!

He is also the Ring Magazine champion. 

When the two fought previously on the Gold Coast in 2022, Jai was a promising youngster and Briedis admittedly underestimated his skills and abilities. In an epic battle that went twelve rounds, Briedis fought with a broken nose and Jai had his jaw broken in two places.

Jai won the fight but had to go straight to hospital because as he said later, “My jaw wasn’t even attached to my skull.”

For ‘Opetaia v Briedis II’ Jai found it hard to find his rhythm and won the first eight rounds on most people’s score cards but failed to knock down the Latvian. Neither fighter ever really looked in danger of knocking the other out or down.…more

By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific

A Niuean boxer based in Aotearoa New Zealand is heading to Russia to compete in the 2024 World Friendship Games, seen as the potential rival to the Paris Olympics.

Commonwealth bronze and Pacific Games gold medalist, Duken Holo Tutakitoa-Williams, has set his sights on Russia instead of the Olympics, after finding out Niue could not compete at the Summer Olympics.

Niue is self-governing in free association with New Zealand, and Tutakitoa-Williams said like many other smaller nations, it does not have a recognised National Olympic Committee.

Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association (NISCGA) is an associate member of the Oceania National Olympic Committees.

After winning a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Games, the Niue team was aiming for gold in Paris 2024.

The team started their training camp for the Pacific Games in hope they would be able to qualify for the Olympics.

Five weeks in, Niue Sport held a meeting and told them Niue can't even qualify for the Olympics.…more

The 2024 NFL Draft was held over the past weekend, where the 32 teams of the National Football League took a total of 257 picks from a pool of prospects, with 13 athletes of Pasifika descent picked! Get to know them and where they're headed for the 2024 season here! 🌺🏈

Taliese Fuaga

14th Pick, New Orleans Saints

Laiatu Latu

15th Pick, Indianapolis Colts

Troy Fautanu

20th Pick, Pittsburgh Steelers

Kingsley Suamataia

63rd Pick, Kansas City Chiefs

Jonah Elliss

76th Pick, Denver Broncos

Dominick Puni

86th Pick, San Francisco 49ers

Marist Liufau

87th Pick, Dallas Cowboys

Giovanni Manu

126th Pick, Detroit Lions

Sione Vaki

132nd Pick, Detroit Lions

Sataoa Laumea

179th Pick, Seatlle Seahawks

Darius Muasau

183rd Pick, New York Giants

Jonah Laulu

234th Pick, Indianapolis Colts

Devaughn Vele

235th Pick, Denver Broncos

The biggest tag team match on The Biggest WrestleMania of All Time goes down as Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins team up to take down The Rock and Roman Reigns.

The Rock wrestled his first match since 2016 and pinned "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes for the win, allowing the Wrestlemania XL Night 2 main event between Cody Rhodes and "Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns to be held under "Bloodline Rules".

Watch his full, electrifying entrance here!

Here's what "The Final Boss" had to say about the match at the Wrestlemania XL press conference

Roman Reigns defends his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes today!

"Pacific rugby players have a global impact. If you think about the last Rugby World Cup, over half the teams had Pasifika playing for them, it wasn't just Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the All Blacks, just about every other team that had Pasifika influence threaded or weaved into that team" - Savae Sir Michael Jones

The Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame aims to provide a global platform to honour Pacific’s rugby heroes, past and present. Shining this light on the success of our best players aims to lift Pacific communities through the power of rugby - inspiring the next generation of Pasifika rugby heroes.

The movement will champion Pacific rugby players and their collective hopes and aspirations in a series of events in Auckland this weekend, after the inaugural ceremony saw a packed out Eden Park on Thursday night.…more