Rugby union in Tuvalu is a major sport.[1]
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Due to various reasons, a proper national body has not been set up.
Unlike most South Pacific islands, rugby union is largely played on an informal basis in Tuvalu alongside football (soccer), which is the main sport.[2]
Tuvalu participated in the Rugby Sevens competition in the XIVth Pacific Games in 2011.[3]
Tuvalu's main problems are geographical - its population of 11,992 makes it the third-least-populated independent country in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. It is also one of the smallest member by population of the United Nations. In terms of physical land size, at just 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City—0.44 km²; Monaco—1.95 km² and Nauru—21 km². It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls. All of this makes a rugby infrastructure difficult to construct.
Tuvalu’s close relationship with New Zealand and Australia, however, ensures that rugby union gets a lot of media coverage in Tuvalu.
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