Culture
Play Style
Similarly to neighbouring pacific islands rugby was originally brought to Tonga when Tongan emigrants brought the sport back from New Zealand in the early 20th Century. Since then Tonga has had fierce rivalries with other Polynesian nations such as Samoa, and the Cook Islands. Historically Tonga fared poorly against larger neighbours Samoa, however Tonga has never lost to the Cook Islands, and is progressing well against Samoa. Before a game Tongan rugby players perform the Sipi Tau, which is a form of Kailao a traditional Tongan war dance. The Tongan players perform the Sipi Tau with passion and spirit it forms a big part of their culture, and is very important to them.
Tongan rugby players are immaculately built for the sport. Being big, strong, and fast they are generally very popular targets for scouts of rich European or Australasia clubs. The result of which is a very talented team of individuals that do not get to spend much time together. Despite this the Tongan team work together quite well due to there passion and commitment to the sport, and their country. However historically it has been difficult for Tonga to compete against top tier nations even when taking the passion into consideration. The biggest change from the old teams to this new team comes in the way of the coaching staff. Just recently Tonga have signed South African world cup winning coach Jake White. Jake White has shown his coaching nuance, leading South Africa to win the 2007 world cup, and appearing in coaching stints at super rugby team's the Sharks as well as the Brumbies. White led both clubs to the finals series in 201, and 2014 respectively. He may have only spent a year at each club, however the foundations that White built were invaluable. White is highly regarded as one of the best coaches at the moment bringing Tonga valuable future assets.
Flickr (Naparazzi)
Fast Facts:
Players: 7,577
RWC Results: Third in Pool 2011, 2007
IRB World Ranking: 13th with 72.83 points
Best Result 2014: Vs. Samoa 18-18
Coach: Mana Otai Captain: Nili Latu