By Iliesa Tora Via RNZ 

All players playing at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup will be paid AU$850 per week as a standard match fee, but individual federations can pay their players more if they can afford to.

The International Rugby League clarified this to RNZ Pacific on Thursday, following reports that some member associations are concerned that Australian players are reportedly due to receive AU$40,000 flat payment per player.

That deal is being reported to have been made between the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) and the Rugby League Players' Association (RLPA).

That match fee will be equally paid to both male and female players in both the Kangaroos and the Jillaroos teams.

In contrast, players from Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga will receive AU$2,550 for three weeks; AU$3,440 if their team makes the top four; and AU$4,250 if they reach the final.

International Rugby League Secretary General Danny Kazandjian

IRL

RLWC 2026 is being held in October, joint hosted by Australia, PNG and New Zealand.…more

Samoan heavyweight Joseph Parker says he is feeling "relieved" and grateful after his suspension was lifted, clearing the way for his return to the ring later this year.

The former WBO heavyweight world champion had been provisionally suspended by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after a voluntary drug test following his October 2025 fight against Britain's Fabio Wardley returned a positive result for a cocaine metabolite.

UKAD investigated the result and found the positive test came from contamination linked to Parker's nutritionist, who admitted to using cocaine regularly. They found it was not connected to Parker taking the substance himself or trying to gain an advantage in boxing, allowing him to return to the sport.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's David Nyika vs Floyd Masson fight card in Auckland, Parker said the decision had brought relief not only to himself, but to the people who stood by him throughout the process.

"A sense of relief, sense of gratitude for all those who stuck by me and for those who've helped get me to where I am today, and just happy," Parker said.…more

As the curtain closes on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, we take a look at some of our Pacific athletics stars who narrowly missed the podium but still made history, producing national records, personal bests and season's bests on the international stage.

Max Teuruaa – Cook Islands

(Pictured in thumbnail)

Cook Islands decathlete Max Teuruaa delivered a standout performance in Glasgow, setting a new national record in the men's decathlon.

Teuruaa finished the event with 6,434 points, surpassing his previous national record of 6,337 points. He also equalled the Cook Islands national pole vault record, clearing 4.00m during the decathlon competition.

Kenaz Kaniwete – Kiribati

Kiribati sprinter Kenaz Kaniwete made history in the men's 100m, breaking his own national record with a time of 10.89 seconds.

His performance was another milestone for Kiribati athletics, showcasing the continued growth of Pacific sprinting on the international stage.

Alex Rose – Samoa

Samoan discus thrower Alex Rose came close to a medal finish, placing fourth in the men's discus competition.…more

Jai Opetaia takes boxing’s biggest power players to court over ‘corruption’ claims

Samoan-Australian boxing champion Jai Opetaia has taken his fight outside the ring, launching legal action against the International Boxing Federation (IBF) over the loss of his cruiserweight world title.

The undefeated 31-year-old has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, seeking to have his IBF title reinstated and alleging that his stripping was part of a wider effort to punish him for signing with controversial new promotion Zuffa Boxing.

Opetaia is also seeking damages, legal costs and an injunction preventing the IBF from naming a new cruiserweight champion while the case is ongoing.

At the centre of the lawsuit is Opetaia’s claim that the IBF and other major boxing organisations have acted against him because of his decision to join Zuffa Boxing.

The 19-page complaint alleges that the IBF’s actions were part of “co-ordinated, industry-wide collusion designed to penalise Jai for signing with Zuffa Boxing and to deter other athletes from doing the same”.…more

By Taina Basiyalo 

The moment Jasmine Daunakamakama was told she could not compete at last year’s World Boxing Championships was one of the toughest of her young career.

Months of preparation ended without the Fijian even stepping into the ring after she was barred from competing because her mandatory gender eligibility test arrived late — a requirement introduced by World Boxing following the controversy surrounding the women’s competition at the Paris Olympics.

For many athletes, it would have been a crushing setback.

For Daunakamakama, it became the motivation behind her historic Commonwealth Games campaign.

Now, the 21-year-old is preparing to become the first Fijian woman to compete in boxing at the Commonwealth Games when she faces Ghana in the women’s 57kg division on Sunday.

Rather than dwelling on last year’s disappointment, Daunakamakama says the experience taught her resilience.

“I was quite emotional hearing the news because we’d trained for months, and I missed the chance to improve my world ranking. But in boxing, you’re faced with a lot of uncomfortable situations.…more

Fresh from taking on the All Blacks in the weekend, Ireland rugby star Bundee Aki returned to where his journey began, visiting his old school, Manurewa High School in South Auckland.

The surprise visit brought plenty of laughs, memories and heartfelt reunions as Bundee caught up with some of the teachers who supported him during his high school years.

Among those welcoming him back were his former Kaitiaki teacher Mr Randle, who taught him in 9RN, and his English teacher Mrs Chandra, who worked hard to keep him focused in the classroom.

The school shared that while Bundee’s international rugby career was something to celebrate, what stood out most was the person he had become.

“Still humble. Still grounded. Still proudly Samoan. Still proudly South Auckland. Still proudly repping Manurewa,” the school said.

Bundee attended Manurewa High School where he represented the school’s First XV and Samoan group before going on to represent Ireland on rugby’s biggest stages.…more

Warriors legend Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has opened up about the heartbreaking ACL injury that brought an early end to his final NRL season with the club, admitting the setback “took a toll” as he faced leaving the Warriors without the farewell he had hoped for.

The 33-year-old will depart the Warriors at the end of the season to join English Super League side Wakefield Trinity, bringing an end to one of the most decorated careers in the club’s history.

Tuivasa-Sheck announced his move in April through his brother’s YouTube channel, deliberately sharing the news hours before a match so it would not become a distraction for the team.

But just six weeks later, disaster struck.

The veteran winger ruptured the ACL in his left knee during the opening minutes of the Warriors’ 30-12 win, suffering the same injury for the second time in his career.

Tuivasa-Sheck will finish his Warriors career with 158 appearances across two stints, four Warriors Player of the Year awards and the 2018 Dally M Medal as the NRL’s best player.…more

When Kane James pulled on a Wales jersey for the first time, it was a proud moment for Welsh rugby.

But for a small Pacific nation thousands of kilometres away, it was also a moment of pride.

The 21-year-old’s first international cap carries a family story that stretches from Pembrokeshire to Niue, one of the world’s smallest and most isolated nations.

With fewer than 2,000 people living on the island and just one weekly flight connecting it to New Zealand, Niue may seem like an unlikely place to begin a rugby journey that leads to the international stage.

But for James, it is a huge part of who he is.

"It's quite an inspiring story, isn't it, really?" James told the Scrum V Podcast.

"How my parents ended up meeting each other and coming to Wales is pretty inspiring. It's such a cool heritage."

James was born in Pembrokeshire while his parents were staying with his paternal grandparents, before growing up in Cardiff and beginning his rugby journey at St Peter’s RFC.…more

Toa Samoa star Jarome Luai to join Parramatta Eels in 2027 before PNG Chiefs move

Jarome Luai's journey to the PNG Chiefs will include one final stop, with the Parramatta Eels confirming the Toa Samoa star will join the club for the 2027 NRL season before heading to Papua New Guinea for the Chiefs' inaugural campaign in 2028.

The announcement comes after the Wests Tigers confirmed Luai would leave the club at the end of the 2026 season, despite originally being contracted until the end of 2027.

It marks another major twist in one of the biggest player movements of the year. Earlier this season, Luai was unveiled as the PNG Chiefs' inaugural signing, becoming Player #001 and committing to the new franchise from 2028, with an option to remain until the end of 2030.

Instead of spending 2027 at the Tigers, the Toa Samoa playmaker will reunite with Mitchell Moses at Parramatta for a one-year stint before beginning the next chapter of his career in Papua New Guinea.…more