Football - men's Champions League
New Caledonia's Tiga Sport stunned Hekari United 1-0 in Port Vila to blow Group B wide open at the Oceania Champions League.
The tournament debutants bounced back from a 3-0 loss to AS Pirae in their opening match to surprise the Papua New Guinea powerhouse, thanks to a lone goal in the second half by captain Shene Welepane.
In yesterday's other Group B match, Tahitian champions AS Pirae performed a minor miracle to draw with Ifira Black Bird 2-2.
Down to 10 men after 30 minutes, Ifira scored two goals - one in each half - to establish a two-goal lead, but AS Pirae team scored in the 84th minute and again in the fifth minute of added time to break local hearts.
AS Pirae now play Hekari United on Sunday needing only a draw to make the semi-finals; Tiga Sport play Ifira Black Bird on the same day.
Photo: Tonga Rugby Union
Sevens - Tonga
Tonga's Sevens team is heading into a play-off this weekend to try and qualify for next year's top tier.
Canada, Kenya and Uruguay, and Sevens Challenger Series winners Tonga, will fight for a main series spot at Twickenham.
Each team will play three matches during a round-robin pool stage, before the top two advance to a winner-takes-all play-off to decide the 12th and final team on the 2024 Series.
Tongan captain Sione Tupou is under no illusions about the size of the task, but he is confident the players have what it takes to secure promotion.
The main London Sevens starts Friday evening London time - Saturday morning for most of the Pacific.
Futsal - Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands futsal head coach Damon Shaw has named a 15-man squad for a tour of Vietnam.
Four changes have been made to the team that lifted the inaugural Melanesian Futsal Cup in April.
One of the key inclusions is three-time FIFA Futsal World Cup representative, James Egeta, who will his return since 2016.
Paul Laki, Alwin Ray and George Stevenson are also recalled after missing out in Fiji last month.
The Kurukuru play the Vietnam national side on May 26 and the following day in Ho Chi Minh City.
Multi-event - Samoa
Hundreds of athletes are expected to compete in the Samoa Games on Saturday as part of the celebrations in the lead-up to Samoa Independence on June 1.
The Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee will participate in the opening ceremony at 5pm on Saturday at Apia Park Stadium and it will be open to the public.
Committee chief executive, Tuala Mathew Vaea, said the convening of event is to celebrate Samoa's many achievements in sports and its contribution towards development.
More than 20 sports federations will host their own competitions from May 20-27 with Tuala confirming that they are expecting some overseas participants to fly in to join in the celebrations and compete against local athletes.
Football - women's Champions League
The draw for the inaugural women's Oceania Champions League has had to be redrawn after New Zealand's representatives withdrew.
Just five teams will now compete for the the title in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from June 1-10.
The withdrawal of Eastern Suburbs has seen the format change from two pools of three teams to a round robin.
The competing teams are Hekari United FC, Labasa Women FC, Kiwi FC, Koloale FC and AS Academy Féminine.
Rugby league - PNG in NRL
Australia's assistant minister for trade and manufacturing Tim Ayres says the Australian Government will support Papua New Guinea to have a men's and women's teams in the National Rugby League after 2025.
Ayres made the comment when he attended the League Bilong Laif programme hosted by NRL PNG and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby.
Students from Tengei Christian Academy and Tediro Primary who attended the programme displayed some rugby league drills.
Ayres said the students could be future NRL and NRLW players to play for PNG clubs.
He believes thousands of Australian league fans would fly in to Port Moresby whenever there's an NRL game on.
