legal challenge

The government had filed a motion to have the speaker, Gracia Shadrack, removed; a feud which saw the MPs and Prime Minister Bob Loughman boycott parliament for three days last week.

Yesterday morning, Shadrack said their three days' absence meant their seats were now vacant, announcing the suspended MPs one-by-one during a dramatic session of parliament.

But MPs, including Prime Minister Bob Loughman, refused to leave their seats, with security guards called onto the floor of parliament as a shouting match developed.

Kanaloa Pasifika is threatening court action after missing out on a place in the 2022 competition.

The Auckland-based Moana Pasifika bid and a Fiji-led delegation have been chosen to join the competition, alongside the existing five teams from New Zealand and five from Australia.

But Kanaloa Pasifika claimed New Zealand Rugby breached its own rules by appointing Moana Pasifika as a Primary Partner when the group did not take part in the formal tender process.