Tonga national rugby union team
Rugby union team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Not to be confused with Tonga national rugby league team.
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Tonga women's national rugby union team.
The Tonga national rugby union team (Tongan: timi feohi ʻakapulu fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents the Tonga Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi (Sea Eagles). Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
Quick Facts Nickname(s), Emblem ...
Nickname(s) | ʻIkale Tahi (The Sea Eagles) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Emblem | White dove | ||
Union | Tonga Rugby Union | ||
Head coach | Tevita Tuʻifua | ||
Captain | Sonatane Takulua | ||
Most caps | Nili Latu (54) | ||
Top scorer | Kurt Morath (340) | ||
Top try scorer | Fetuʻu Vainikolo (18) | ||
Home stadium | Teufaiva Sport Stadium | ||
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World Rugby ranking | |||
Current | 16 (as of 2 June 2022) | ||
Highest | 9 (2011, 2012) | ||
Lowest | 20 (2005, 2006) | ||
First international | |||
Tonga 9–6 Fiji (Nuku'alofa, Tonga; 25 August 1924) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Tonga 119–0 South Korea (Nuku'alofa, Tonga; 22 March 2003) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
New Zealand 102–0 Tonga (Auckland, New Zealand; 16 June 2000) New Zealand 102–0 Tonga (Auckland, New Zealand; 3 July 2021) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 9 (First in 1987) | ||
Best result | Pool stage (1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023) | ||
Medal record |
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