Rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands (; french: Wallis-et-Futuna or ', Fakauvea and Fakafutuna: '), is a French island collectivity in the South Pacific, situated between Tuvalu to the northwest, Fiji ...

is a popular sport within the

French overseas territory Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after decolon ...

Governing body

The Comité Territorial de Rugby Wallis et Futuna is a committee under the umbrella of the

French Rugby Federation The French Rugby Federation (french: Fédération Française de Rugby (''FFR'')) is the governing body for rugby union in France. It is responsible for the France national rugby union team, French national team and the National Rugby League (Franc ...

which is the governing body for

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

within

. The committee is not affiliated to the IRB in its own right, but it is an associate member of the

Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions Oceania Rugby, previously known as the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU), is the regional governing body for rugby union in Oceania. It was founded in 2000 to represent the interests of Oceania rugby within World Rugby, the international go ...

(FORU), which is the governing body for rugby union in

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

History

Rugby union was first introduced into Wallis and Futuna by the French, and has been played there for over a century. Wallis and Futuna is still a French colony, and this has proven a mixed blessing, as players have the prospect of "promotion" to French professionalism/semi-amateurism, but this also potentially weakens the local system, removing players from local competitions. Wallis and Futuna also has geographical problems. The two main island groups are 160 km apart, making regular competition difficult. There is also the issue of population, since the islands only have around 13,000 inhabitants. However, the islands have strong ties to

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

and

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

, both of which are major rugby nations, despite their small size. The ''

Kailao The kailao is a cultural dance from the South Pacific country of Tonga. It originates from Wallis and Futuna. History The kailao originated on the island collectivity of Wallis and Futuna, where it is still performed in public ceremonies. In Tong ...

'' often thought of as the Tongan ''

haka Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...

'' and used by the

Tonga national rugby union team The Tonga national rugby union team ( to, timi feohi ʻakapulu fakafonua ʻa Tonga) represents Tonga in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ''Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles)''. Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start the ...

is of Wallisian origin.

Pacific Games

Wallis and Futuna first played international 15-a-side rugby in 1966 at the

South Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games were ...

(as it was then called), but has since switched focus onto playing rugby sevens. Rugby Sevens has been a sport in the

since the late 1990s. The Wallis and Futuna team has competed at 7-a-side rugby tournaments in recent

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games were ...

Notable players

Yann David Yann David (born 15 April 1988 in Lyon, France) is a French professional rugby union centre and winger currently playing for Castres Olympique in the Top 14. He played two seasons for Bourgoin-Jallieu before joining the toulousians. He is 1.85m ...

Aliki Fakate Aliki Fakate (born 4 September 1985) is a French rugby union lock. Born at Nouméa, New Caledonia, he plays for Montpellier, where he moved from Pro D2 club Lyon OU. He debuted for Lyon on 27 October 2007 against Racing Metro. Fakate also rep ...

Pierre-Gilles Lakafia Pierre-Gilles Lakafia (born 13 March 1987 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France) is a French rugby union player. He plays at Wing for Castres Olympique, Castres. He is the brother of Biarritz Olympique Number 8, Rafaël Lakafia and the son of former ...

* Raphaël Lakafia *

Dimitri Pelo Dimitri Pelo (born 17 April 1985) is a French former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL. He has previously played for Montpellier Herault RC after switching codes in 2010 and for the Catalan ...

Vincent Pelo Vincent Pelo (born 22 April 1988) is a French rugby union player. He is the cousin of Dimitri Pelo and Aliki Fakate. He currently plays for French club Bayonne as a Loosehead Prop. Pelo is a native of Wallis. He was part of the French national ...

* Laurent Simutoga *

Jocelino Suta Jocelino Suta (born in Port Vila ) is a French rugby union player who plays as a lock for RC Toulonnais. After his birth in Port Vila, capital of the Republic of Vanuatu, planted in the heart of the Pacific near to Fiji, Jocelino Suta grew up in ...

Willy Taofifénua Willy Taofifénua (born 4 February 1963) is a former French rugby player. He played as a flanker for FC Grenoble. Taofifénua is originally from Wallis and Futuna. Player He played for FC Grenoble and his brother Jean-Jacques Taofifénua also pla ...

—from

Mata-Utu Mata Utu (; ʻUvean: Matāutu, ) is the capital city of Wallis and Futuna, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located on the island of Uvéa (Uvea), in the district of Hahake, of which it is also the capital. It is one of two ports in Wa ...

. *

Christopher Tolofua Christopher Tolofua (born 31 December 1993) is a French rugby union player who currently plays for Toulon. His regular playing position is Hooker. Club career Tolofua made his debut for Toulouse against Connacht in Hcup. He was called as a cover ...

Mikaele Tuugahala Mikaele Tuugahala (b. in Wallis and Futuna) is a French rugby union player. He plays at the Prop position and currently plays for Racing Métro 92. He is the cousin of Toulon Loose forward Jocelino Suta. Career Tuugahala started playing rugby in ...

* Sébastien Vahaamahina

National stadium

External links

Oceania Nations, Wallis and Futuna

Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions

on aslagnyrugby.net

Reference list

{{Wallis and Futuna topics, state=collapsed Sport in Wallis and Futuna