Samoa

Pacific Maritime Safety Programme approved for another four years

The programme delivers maritime safety initiatives to seven Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu.

The funding, from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2026, marks the fourth phase of the programme.

The PMSP is a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade programme, funded through the International Development Cooperation programme and delivered by Maritime NZ.

Double feast of Oceania rugby tournaments in Auckland

Six men's and 6 women's teams will participate in the Oceania Rugby Super Sevens, with Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga to be joined by an invitational Oceania side.

That competition will take place between June 24 and 26.

Two weeks later, the annual Oceania Rugby Women's 15s Championship will make a return after three years of cancellations due to the pandemic.

Next stage unveiled in battle for Oceania club supremacy

The revised competition format, which was adapted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce travel requirements on teams, is split into two phases.

Stage one will determine which clubs contest stage two, which will be an eight-team centralised finals tournament scheduled for August this year.

Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will stage home and away playoffs – involving the champion and runner up from their respective national league – through June, from which each winner will secure qualification to the finals tournament.

More than 1000 athletes to compete in Pacific Mini Games

Super typhoons, the withdrawal of government support and Covid-19 have disrupted the event which will now take place from June 17-25. It was originally due to be held in May/June 2021.

The hosts and Fiji lead the delegations with 125 athletes apiece.

Solomon Islands has 117 athletes while New Caledonia has 109. The smallest delegations are Norfolk Island and American Samoa with three each.

The 20 Pacific nations and territories attending and their number of athletes are:

PNG play Tahiti and returning Vanuatu in OFC football cup

It's Vanuatu's first appearance in the competition since 2010.

In Group A, Tonga have been drawn with the Cook Islands and Samoa.

Hosts Fiji are in Group C where they face New Caledonia and Solomon Islands.

The nine-team competition is being held from July 13-30.

The competition winner then goes into a ten-team inter-continental tournament to find three qualifiers for the Women's World Cup finals being hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 2023.

New Zealand, as co-hosts, are exempt from the qualifying tournament.

OFC women’s national teams in action this month

Head coach Jitka Klimková has recalled the likes of Grace Jale, Anna Green and Ally Green to the squad for the series.

Meanwhile, Fiji are also off to Australia. Head coach Lisa Cole will hope fixtures against first-time World Cup qualifiers the Philippines on April 7 and 11 in Sydney can inspire her side to future success.

Fiji, runners-up at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup 2018, will know a repeat of four years ago will give them a chance to enter the inter-confederation play-offs next February, with three World Cup spots up for grabs.

Digicel scores big – Wins Ookla Speedtest Awards in Samoa and Tonga

Digicel Samoa was designated Fastest Mobile Network and Fastest Internet Provider while Digicel Tonga got the Best Mobile Coverage Ookla Awards, making it the go-to place for a superior data experience.

Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, is the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis.

Samoa and Vanuatu Governments discussing ditched plane

The Samoa Observer reports Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa as being happy with the offer from Vanuatu.

However, she said they need to resolve the issue between the government and the lessor.

The FAST government decided soon after taking office that the lease agreement on the aircraft was unsustainable.

A special Cabinet committee had recommended the immediate stopping of the lease with an airline company in Ireland.

 

Photo supplied (file)  Caption: Samoa Airways Boeing 737-800 aircraft  

     

Pandemic presents big challenges for Pacific seasonal workers

New Zealand has a new one-way travel bubble with Pacific island countries such as Samoa, Vanuatu and Tonga.

Vaccinated RSE workers from these countries can come to New Zealand without self-isolating or taking Covid-19 tests on arrival, after the one-way quarantine-free travel took effect last week.

Up to 5,000 workers are needed across the horticulture and viticulture industries during peak summer season in December and January.

The usual supply of backpackers to New Zealand's recognised seasonal workers scheme remains cut off due to Covid-19 border restrictions.

National 7s competitions resume in Samoa and Fiji

Samoa's National Sevens Series kicked off this morning at Marist St Joseph's Stadium in Lotopa.

There are 24 men's teams and four women's teams competing.

The men will each play two games today, with the eight pool winners advancing to the Cup quarter-finals.

The women's teams will join the competition tomorrow and play three games each in a round-robin format, before the men's semis and finals.

Meanwhile, the fourth leg of Fiji's Super Sevens Series has kicked off in Suva.