Veteran middle distance runner Alex Beddoes will lead the Cook Islands athletics team at the Pacific Games in Honiara. Photo: Stephen Pond / Getty Images
Cook Islands - athletics
Athletics Cook Islands has selected a strong nine-member team for the Pacific Games in Solomon Islands in November and December.
Four are based in the Cook Islands, while the others are in New Zealand for study.
The team is led by veteran middle distance runner Alex Beddoes with Rupeni Mataitoga also competing in the men's 800m and 1500m.
The team also includes Ana Ellison-Lupena, Daniel Tolosa, Estelle Short, Max Teururaa, Piritau Nga, Tatiana Sherwin and Willyn Karika.
Mataitoga, who is originally from Fiji, has been residing and working in the Cook Islands for the past eight years.
He is originally from Fiji and works at the Pacific Resort in Muri.
Samoa - rugby league
Penrith Panthers and New Zealand Kiwis assistant coach Ben Gardiner has been named as the new coach of Toa Samoa.
Rugby League Samoa president Fiu Ponifasio Vasa said New Zealand-born Gardiner was picked from seven candidates.
The job was left vacant after the departure of longtime coach Mau-a-Pule Matt Parish.
Australia-based Jamie Soward has been named as the Fetu Samoa women's rugby league coach.
Samoa - tennis
Samoa took the gold medal in both the men's and women's tennis Pacific Nations Cup.
Tahiti came second in both team events, while Tuvalu took the bronze in the men's and Fiji were third in the women's.
Samoa's Tai Pritchard said the tournament has been a great experience.
"What an amazing result for us, we eneded up winning. For someone like me who has only been playing tennis for three years it has been an amazing experience and great success," he said.
Fiji - rugby
Fiji has gone up a place in the World Rugby rankings after its surprise victory over Australia on Monday.
The 22-15 win in Saint-Étienne puts Fiji up to eighth, while the Wallabies drop to ninth place.
The top four - Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand - all recorded wins over lower-ranked opposition and maintained their places.
Scotland, in fifth, did not play, and England's victory saw them remain sixth.
Moana Pasifika - re-signed
Moana Pasifika has re-signed halfbacks Jonathan Taumateine and Ereatara Enari for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Both are currently with Manu Samoa at the Rugby World Cup in France.
The club said the duo have been instrumental for Moana Pasifika since the team's inception.
Taumateine has represented Manu Samoa since 2021.
Enari made his Super Rugby debut in 2017 for the Crusaders after an impressive campaign with the New Zealand Under-20s team.
