Coco Talanoa — Sports / Page 33

The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced that Baltimore Ravens Offensive Lineman, Ronnie Stanley has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award presented by Hawaiian Airlines.

The Polynesian Pro Football Player of the Year Award recognizes the most outstanding professional football player of Polynesian Ancestry. Seattle Seahawks Offensive Guard Mike Iupati was selected as the inaugural recipient in 2015, Tennessee Titans Quarterback Marcus Mariota was selected as the recipient in 2016, and Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was selected as the recipient in 2017 and 2018.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Stanley is of Tongan descent - his Mum Juli is Tongan and was born in Tonga.  He is in his fourth season out of the University of Notre Dame. This year, Stanley helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to a 14-2 regular season record.  He has given up no sacks and only 5 QB hurries throughout the season while leading the Ravens to the #1 ranked offense in the National Football League.…more

It's official, young Samoan Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has declared himself for the NFL draft.

Tua Tagovailoa came to Alabama as a 5-star recruit & ended his true Freshman season leading the Crimson Tide to a National Championship. He came up short as a Sophomore & was having arguably his best season in 2019, but suffered a season-ending hip injury. Throughout his career, Tua was one of the best players in all of college football. He throws a beautiful deep ball & is arguably the best at throwing slants. Overall, he might be the best QB Alabama has ever had. 

The NFL draft is scheduled to be held from April 23–25, 2020 in Paradise, Nevada.

Former Blues and Junior All Blacks player Nick Williams was reduced to tears after his Welsh rugby club, the Cardiff Blues surprised him by flying out his Mother from New Zealand to spend time with him and his family over the Christmas break.

Nick has played for Cardiff for the last 12 years and his Mother has never seen him play live for the club.  This upcoming season will be his final season at the club.

Nick is the older brother of Manu Samoa player Tim Nanai-Williams and cousin to Toronto Wolfpacks latest signing Sonny Bill Williams

Look back at the best fights from the career of Max Holloway inside the Octagon, including his wins over Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas, Jose Aldo and Brian Ortega.

Check out Max' UFC career record here 

He won the World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year Award at the World Rugby awards this year & he's the first Fijian player to win the award since Samisoni Viriviri in 2014.

This is the story of Jerry Tuwai who grew up in a poor shanty in Fiji playing rugby with plastic bottles. He went on to win the first Olympic medal for his country.

Fletch & Hindy interview John Hopoate & Steve Menzies and talk to them about some interesting incidents/moments in their rugby league careers.

History was made on the 18th of October when 3 Pasifika children (who are also siblings) won the NZ Chess Power Team Nationals in Christchurch with their school team.

They are the first Pasifika kids in a first placed team and in a first placed team with more than one Pasifika student that placed individually. Hunter Po'e-Tofaeono (10yrs) is the first Pasifika child to place at the 'Teams and Champions trophy' and his older sister Tyleah (11 yrs) is the first Pasifika girl to receive the Top Female Trophy.  

While both Hynter and Tyleah are now obsessed with chess, it was actually their younger sibling, Grayson (6yrs) who got them into it after announcing to his parents Zelda (Niuean/Cook Islands) and Masina (Samoan) that he'd like to join the chess club at their primary school - Hillsborough Primary School.  The Chess Club there is run by a volunteer - Mr Wayne McDougall and there can often be up to 50 - 60 kids attend on a Tuesday afternoon.…more

All the big hits from the Tongan Invitational XIII boys wins against both the Great Britain Lions and the Australian Kangaroos.

Manu Tuilagi unleashed - international highlights 2019

“The best piece of advice I have been given is to play for your family, that’s all the motivation I need.”

England wing Joe Cokanasiga shares his rugby journey...

Joe Cokanasiga may not have made the finals squad in the England Rugby World Cup squad but he's been nominated for the 'World Rugby Break through Player of the Year Award'.   Joe is up against Herschel Jantjies from South Africa and Romain Ntamack from France.  To be eligible for this award, players must have played less than one year of senior international rugby.

The winner will be revealed at the World Rugby Awards, which take place at The Prince Park Tower in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.