The Fiji men's football team started their warm-up for the Oceania World Cup qualifier semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Auckland United. Photo: Fiji Football Association Facebook
Football
The Fiji men's football team started their warm-up for the Oceania World Cup qualifier semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Auckland United.
Team manager Kartik Reddy said the game was a competitive one, and presented the visitors with the opportunity to test themselves out against a New Zealand side.
Fiji will play a second warm-up game against the Auckland-based Eastern Surburbs club on Sunday, before they travel to Wellington.
Fiji will face New Zealand for a place in the Oceania qualifier final, and the winning finalist qualifies directly for the FIFA World Cup.
Tahiti and New Caledonia clash in the other semifinal.
League
The PNG Hunters head coach Paul Aiton has retained Ila Alu as captain for the Hostplus Cup rugby league season.
The Post Courier reported the 29-year-old from Chimbu and Central Province led the team to their semi-final finish in 2024.
Speaking at the team's launch in Port Moresby last weekend, Alu credited his teammates for their support in achieving success.
Coach Aiton has also named his 33-man squad, featuring 11 new players for 2025.
The Hunters play their first competition game against the Mackay Cutters on Saturday.
Golf
Papua New Guinea golfer, Margaret Lavaki, is the first from her country to compete at the Women's Amateur Asia Pacific Championship.
Lavaki is in Vietnam for the event, which runs until Sunday.
The National newspaper reported PNG Golf Association president Ian Hodge saying they were honoured to have Lavaki invited to the event, which will feature international golfers from the Asia and Pacific regions.
In Thursday's first round, Lavaki shot a 19 over par 90.
AFL
Vanuatu will host its first-ever international Australian Rules Football competition when it hosts the AFL 9s in Port Vila, starting on Friday.
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported the two-day event will see teams from Australia and Vanuatu competing in a non-contact version of the game.
AFL Programs Manager Nancy Patterson said there are two teams from Australia and two from Vanuatu in the men's competition.
The women's category will see two Australian teams, with four Vanuatu teams.
Athletics
Papua New Guinea sprinter Pais Wisil will compete at the World Indoor Championships, in Nanjing, China from 21 to 23 March.
The Post Courier reported this has been confirmed by Athletics PNG.
Wisil has been training in Brisbane and competed in events there, in the 60 and 100 metres.
He competed in Canberra last Saturday and clocked 10.32 seconds in the 100 metres.
Football
Seven regional clubs will be trying to stop Auckland City's dominance in the OFC men's Champions League tournament, when the 2025 edition gets underway from 30 March.
The defending champions will be in Group A with Tahiti's AS Pirae, New Caledonia's AS Tiga Sport, and Fiji champions, Rewa FC.
In group B is host nation team Central Coast FC, Vanuatu's Ifira Black Bird FC, Cook Islands' Tupapa Maraerenga and Hekari United FC of PNG.
The tournament is in Honiara.
Cricket
The Vanuatu cricket team for the Four Nations Twenty20 International tournament in New Caledonia will be boosted by the inclusion of eight women playing in Australia.
Vanuatu Cricket chief executive Tim Cutler said the eight are doing seasonal work in Brisbane and are also playing competitive cricket there.
Cutler said the Brisbane-based players will join the locals preparing at home.
The Four Nations event will also include Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia.
Tag
Samoa is sending seven teams to compete at this weekend's Pacific Tag Cup in Auckland.
Samoa Tag Incorporated said the teams will compete in the under-18 men, under-21 men, senior men, open men, open mixed, under-21 mixed and open women's grades.
Other regional teams are from Tonga, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Japan, Cook Islands, Niue and American Samoa .
New Zealand and Aotearoa Maori selections are also part of the tournament, which will be held from 7-9 March.
