The Vanuatu Football president says players who sign up to play for the new professional outfit, the Vanuatu Football Club, will receive a monthly salary of around US$700. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz
Rugby - funding
Lakapi Samoa has received a financial boost of AU$800,000 from the Australian government, which will go towards women's rugby development for the next four years.
Chief executive Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun said the funding - equivalent to just over US$500,000 - will focus mainly on the development of Samoa's national women's sevens team, the Manusina Sevens.
He said the support is instrumental in driving the Manusina Sevens' bid to qualify and debut in the HSBC World Sevens Series, while also aiding the Manu Samoa Sevens in their journey to return to the series.
Rugby - Super Rugby Women's
The Fijiana Drua have named a 26-member squad for this weekend's 2025 Super Rugby Women's competition pre-season match against the Brumbies in Canberra.
Head coach Ifereimi Rawaqa has named 18-year-old Carletta Yee as the youngest player in the squad.
The Fijiana Drua will then travel to Sydney for their first round match against the Waratahs on 28 February.
The winner of the Super Rugby Women's competition will be crowned on 12 April at the North Sydney Oval, and they will then play the Super Rugby Aupiki champions, from New Zealand, to determine the inaugural Women's Super Rugby champions.
Football - Vanuatu pro-league
The Vanuatu Football president says players who sign up to play for the new professional outfit, the Vanuatu Football Club, will receive a monthly salary of around US$700.
Lambert Maltok told the Vanuatu Daily Post the new OFC Professional League is scheduled to kick off in January next year.
Maltok, who is also the Oceania Football president, said Vanuatu is serious about getting a team into the new league.
He said having a club in the new league will be a significant step forward for professional football in the country.
Football - under-19s qualifier
American Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga will compete at the qualifying event for the OFC Under-19 Women's Championship.
The qualifier will be in Nuku'alofa in March.
The winner will then join Group A at the OFC Under-19 Women's Championship, scheduled for Tahiti, from 21 September to 4 October.
Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands are the others in Group A.
Holders New Zealand and hosts Tahiti have been drawn together in Group B, alongside New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Weightlifting - Samoa academy
Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa has officially launched the Oceania Weightlifting Institute and Academy in Apia, Samoa.
Oceania Weightlifting said the facility will become a major part of the sports' development in the region, with lifters from the Pacific expected to be using it for competition and training.
Fiame said the Academy will provide new opportunities for national, regional, and international development in the sport of weightlifting.
Mini Games - equipment
The Palau Pacific Mini Games Organising Committee have taken delivery of the first lot of major equipment for the event.
The Mini Games is scheduled to run from 29 June to 9 July.
The Island Times reported a total of six V6 canoes and eight V1 canoes have been received in Koror, and are ready to be tested by Team Palau in preparation for hosting the Games.
The newspaper reported this is the first time in over 20 years that new boats have been purchased for the national canoe program.
