The Tongan Ikale Tahi team approached Friday’s match against the Flying Fijians as a preparatory ground to shape a formidable side that can represent the island kingdom at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Ben Tameifuna, the captain of the side mentioned this after they were defeated 19-50, in Nuku’alofa, Tonga during the Pacific Nations Cup.
“This is a stepping stone for us as Ikale Tahi. Our main goal is the world cup in Australia and our focus right now is giving the boys an opportunity to put their hand up and hopefully we can do it.”
The Tongans will be in Japan to play Canada next week and the team has fielded in talented prospects who can gain exposure to advanced levels of competition.
Tameifuna echoed these sentiments, stating the players needed such exposure at an early stage, on a platform such as the PNC, to carve a pathway to attaining greater opportunities in the future.
As the Ikale Tahi advance to the fourth-place playoff, the match against the Flying Fijians marked the centennial commemoration of their first encounter in a test match, the first being in 1924.
