Legends Celebrated At The Inaugural Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame

"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.

The PRHOF Board of Directors is made up of a star line up of Rugby mana, joining Savae Sir Michael Jones are Black Ferns Legend and Rugby World Cup winning Captain Seiuli Fioao’o Fa’amausili, former All Black and Tongan community leader Pita Alatini, Manu Samoa legend Lemalu Silao Vaisola, and Cynthia Ta’ala-Timaloa, former Captain of the Samoa Women’s team, Manu Sina. The PRHOF global presence will be reflected through committees positioned across the globe, representing U.K., Europe, Japan, and United States.

At the announcement of the Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame board last year, board members and supporters gave their enthusiastic support of the initiative.

Jonah Lomu’s widow and the mother of his children, Nadene Lomu: "It truly is an honour and a privilege to be part of an amazing but very powerful collective to be the voices for our Pasifika people.  For me having Jonah a part of this and the inaugural Jonah Lomu Memorial Award is very close to my heart” 

“Sport is the vehicle but there is so much around that, which is why the memorial trophy which will be awarded annually, isn't limited just to a heroic or a really phenomenal sports player in rugby, it goes beyond that which is important because it (PRHOF) really is a platform for our people to know their worth, what they bring, that they can be a voice and they do have a voice" said Saveatama Eroni Clarke who added that no other ethnicity or people group have played in different nations around the world like Pacific Islanders have with the game of rugby.  

"Our Pacific nations, the small size that we are, yet in the vast oceans that unite us, we give so tremendously so that's why today is so significant" 

Former Manu Sina captain Cynthia Ta'ala-Timaloa who is on the PRHOF board said she's really excited to 'be the salt' and open doors for our Pasifika women who are doing amazing things in rugby around the globe.  

"I'm really privileged and honoured to be on the board especially in our space and have a voice together with our brothers.  That's how it should be, that's how it is for Pasifika - everything is done around the table.  I don't take the position lightly"

Seiuli Jesse Sapolu has also come onboard as a member of The Pasifika Rugby Hall of Fame USA committee.

The legendary Super Bowl champion stresses the importance of Pasifika having a 'seat at the table' and said the only way to get it is to keep telling our story because if we sit on it and expect them to give it to us ... chances are they won't.  

He said if we do work of service and keep telling our story, "remind them what Jonah Lomu did, what Savae Sir Michael did, what Tuifa'asisina Bryan Williams did in bringing the game along, in planting a seed for a lot of the South Pacific kids that they can also make it to the All Blacks - that's what we bring to the table and they need to acknowledge that and it needs to be honoured."

This week's announcement will be followed by a Pacific Business Trust Breakfast on the Saturday morning, and the Pacific Fest celebration at Eden Park from 11am till 4pm - ahead of the much anticipated  Moana Pasifika vs. Blues match.

-
Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ on Air