Drua’s Motikiai Murray (L) tackles Waratah’s Langi Gleeson (C) during the Super Rugby Round 3 match between New South Wales Waratahs and Fijian Drua at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on February 28. Photo: SAEED KHAN
Rugby
The Fijian Drua's Motikiai Murray has been suspended for three weeks by the Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee.
The committee found Murray guilty of committing a dangerous tackle during the Drua - Brumbies game in Canberra last Friday.
Murray commited the tackle just before fulltime and was sent off the field by referee Jordan May.
Athletics
Pais Wisil has become the fastest 100-metre athlete in Papua New Guinea, after setting a new record in Australia at the weekend.
The National newspaper reported the 24-year-old stopped the clock at 10.24 seconds in the 100 metres at the Queensland State Trial in Brisbane on Saturday.
This broke the 30-year-old record held by Peter Pulu of 10.40 seconds.
Wisil will compete at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, next weekend.
League
The PNG Hunters lost their first game in the 2025 Hostplus rugby league competition at the weekend, going down 28-6 to the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Brisbane.
The National reported the Falcons took an early 12-nil lead in the game before the Hunters' Elijah Roltinga responded with a try.
But the hosts proved too tactical and strong for the PNG side, scoring 16 unaswered points.
The Hunters will have a bye this weekend and will meet the Brisbane Tigers in Port Moresby after that.
Rugby
The Flying Fijians are set for a full-strength squad in their upcoming tests against the Wallabies and Scotland.
FBC reported head coach Mick Byrne saying all of their European-based players will be available for selection.
He said the players he is talking to are all very interested and keen to come and play.
The Flying Fijians will face Australia in their first test match this year in June.
Cricket
Samoa has won the Twenty20 cricket Pacific France Women's Championship, with a dominant win over Vanuatu in the final.
Samoa won by nine wickets, dropping one wicket while chasing down Vanautu's total of 78 runs.
Fiji finished third, after they defeated France in a second super over, after both teams had finished the match tied on 77 runs.
The teams were still tied after the first super over, but Fiji managed to win in the end.
League
Fijian flyer Mikaele Ravalawa will join the Rabbitohs for the remainder of the 2025 NRL season as part of an agreement made with the Dragons.
The short-term deal will see the winger move to South Sydney before returning to St George Illawarra next year.
In other signing news, Cronulla forward and Samoan international Oregon Kaufusi has inked a two-year contract extension with the Sharks.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have staved off the potential of Kumuls winger Rob Derby joining the new PNG NRL franchise in 2028, after locking him down for a further three years.
Sport - leadership
Retired athletes from six Pacific Island nations have been picked to take part in the Wāhine Toa Oceania leadership programme from New Zealand's Olympic Committee.
In 2025, Wāhine Toa Oceania comprises two residential workshops in Fiji, project work and online sessions along with ongoing development and learning opportunities.
The selected retired athletes are from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
NZ Olympic Committee CEO and secretary general Nicki Nicol said the graduates of this programme are going to be better equipped as Pacific leaders, role models and mentors.
Football
Tonga's under-19 women's soccer team thrashed American Samoa 16-nil last week in the last match of the OFC Under-19 Women's Championship qualifiers.
The win also means the team will advance to the Oceania Under-19 Women's Championship in Tahiti later in the year.
Needing just a draw to qualify, the Tongans put on a winning display, and led 9-nil at halftime.
