Tahiti national rugby union team

Tahiti
Union Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française
Coach(es) Teiki Dubois
Team kit
First international
 Tahiti 0 - 3 Wallis and Futuna 
(1971-09-01)
Largest win
 Tahiti 41 - 6 Niue 
(2001-06-16)
Largest defeat
 Cook Islands 86 - 0 Tahiti 
(2001-06-02)

The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played just 12 games to date, four against the Cook Islands and three against Niue. Other games have been played against Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. France played a match against Tahiti at the end of their 1979 tour and won 92-12.[1] Plans to have annual "test" match series against Pacific island neighbours, New Caledonia have been put on hold, due to time, availability, finances, and coaching and refereeing resources. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française. Currently, players who have not yet represented or played for the Tahiti national rugby team, are still eligible to represent France. However, playing at a professional level can only enable this. At present there are no full-time professional rugby players abroad in any professional competition.

Overall

Tahiti are currently ranked 99th on the World Rugby Rankings table.[2]

World Cup

Squad

Squad to 2013 Oceania Cup:[3]

Forwards

  • Loic Grosbras
  • Ronald Ariirau Natua
  • Martin Taeae
  • Noel Teihoarii
  • Clyde Mauahiti
  • Kaena Timo
  • Tunui Anania (C)
  • Marc Richmond
  • Loic Tautu
  • Laban Tere
  • Roland Tamaehu
  • Andrew Vanaa
  • Haley Teuira
 

Backs

  • Guillaume Brouqui
  • Alexandre Fournier
  • François Tardieu
  • Yannick Gooding
  • Tane Vaikiragi Mairoto
  • Terainui Tautu
  • Andoni Jimenez
  • Lionel Mauri
  • Raihau Taurei
  • Patrick Tinirau

Notable players

Player Notability
Timi Frogier
Richard Mapuhi Played for French Club Pau in Pro D2 (49 caps, 1990-1994)
Tauirai Bessert
Apolosi Foliaki
Tihoti Tamarono

Guest players

These players were capped for Tahiti in an invitational match against France to celebrate Bastille Day in Papeete on 14 July 1981:

References

    • Vivian Jenkins, ed. (1980). Rothmans Rugby Yearbook 1980-81. Queen Anne Press. p. 38. ISBN 0-362-02018-3.
  1. World Rugby.org (20 April 2015). "World Rugby Rankings". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/matches/match=14273/index.html
  3. Irene Watt (2 April 2012). "Enrique TOPO Rodríguez talks rugby". Retrieved 22 April 2015.