By Loveni Enari 

The Flying Fijians have been rocked by familial tragedies during the Rugby World Cup but feel the sadness has brought them closer together and will give them ammunition to beat England in their quarter final match at 4am Monday morning (16th October 23) 

The first of the tragedies came when Josua Tuisova missed the funeral of his seven year old son after a long battle with illness. Just days before their rendezvous at Marseille with les Ros Bifs, hooker Sam Matavesi has returned to England after the death of his father.

Matavesi’s father Sireli Matavesi was a former test player and had been wheelchair-bound after surgery some years ago. His son has been enjoying a rich vein of form and after he returned to Fiji for a brief visit home for the funeral, he returned to Marseille on Friday.…more

Father, artist and leader of a South Auckland based non-profit community fitness program, David Toailoa shares what helped him through tough times following the tragic loss of his son and during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Mana Pasifika extends a huge thank you to David and his wife Ema for sharing their story with us. Fa’afetai tele lava.

Please be aware that this video addresses infant loss, we are aware that this may be a difficult topic for some viewers.

If you haven't had time to watch the leaders debates or aren't in the loop with what parties have which candidates, let alone what the parties policies are, don't worry!  Policy.NZ together with The Spinoff, have put together a comprehensive guide to the 2023 NZ elections.

So if you're still undecided on who you want to vote for, you can see the electorate candidates running in your local area, learn about each political party, its leaders and candidate list and compare the parties positions on key issues this election!

All you need to do is click on this link here 

In the meantime we've put together a few of the key issues that we feel impact Pacific Islanders living in New Zealand the most and what each parties policy on these issues are.

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ISSUE: COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION - PASIFIKA 

New Zealand prides itself on its history of egalitarianism, from women's suffrage to marriage equality. But the struggle for fair treatment, recognition and inclusion by marginalised groups continues.…more

Tonga's Ikale Tahi and The Flying Fijians played the final two matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool Games, with favourable results for both teams.

Tonga finished their Rugby World Cup 2023 campaign on a high with an entertaining 45-24 Pool B victory over Romania in front of 45,000 fans at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.

The Ikale Tahi swept into a 21-3 lead after winger Solomone Kata collected an offload from Salesi Piutau for the opening try, ex-All Blacks centre George Moala went over and winger Afusipa Taumoepeau added a third after Alin Conache’s penalty for Romania.

Tonga captain Sonatane Takulua admitted the players wanted to get the win for their head coach Toutai Kefu, who is leaving the role.…more

By Loveni Enari 

It was only pride they were playing for, the points that mattered for Manu Samoa disappeared last week versus Japan, but fans at least saw a valiant performance in the narrow loss to England, as once again the team failed to qualify for the quarter finals.

It's the seemingly inevitable sadness we've been suffering for over 20 years since those pioneering Manu Samoa teams of the 1990s so successfully brought our nation to the top table.

We all know it's only regular games against Tier 1 nations that will allow us to truly compete but 'world' Rugby didn't invite us to the first World Cup and have not changed their attitude in the meantime no matter how many more brave, entertaining losses and circle prayer sessions with Tier 1 players we are involved in.

Despite this there was some real good to come of the campaign. 

Fritz Lee was our player of the tournament, magnificent play, great leadership.…more

Tonga faced off against defending world champions, the Springboks, and played out an entertaining ten-try thriller during their Pool B encounter.

The Springboks proved their mettle, ultimately emerging victorious with a scoreline of 49-18.

Looking ahead, Tonga remains undeterred, focusing on concluding their World Cup campaign on a positive note. Their sights are set on the upcoming encounter against Romania scheduled for Monday, 9th October at 4:45 AM NZDT. Tonga's team is primed and prepared to bring their best to the field, aiming for a resounding victory to cap off their campaign.

In a crucial face-off for both teams, the Manu Samoa clashed with Japan's Brave Blossoms in their third pool game of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, desperately needing a win to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.

However, they faced a formidable Japanese side that proved too strong to conquer. Catch all the highlights as Samoa took on Japan at Rugby World Cup 2023.

The game was intense from the start, with both teams showcasing their prowess on the field. The pressure was immense as Manu Samoa strived to break through Japan's defense and secure the much-needed victory. However, a series of penalties and passing mistakes proved to be their downfall.

Japan, capitalising on these errors, skillfully maneuvered their way through the game, scoring points and maintaining a dominant position. Despite a valiant effort from Manu Samoa, they were unable to bridge the gap, ultimately falling short against a resilient Japanese side.

Samoa will play their final pool game against England on Sunday, 8th Oct 2023 4:45am NZDT.

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Cover Image by World Rugby / World Rugby via Getty Images

Go behind the scenes & check out highlights from the UFC 293 Sydney fight week & fight night.

'The Crowd Goes Wild's' Tim Provise shows us around the UFC Fan Experience and then hear from our Samoan fighters on the card what it means to them to represent their heritage on this global arena.

Featuring Carlos Ulberg, Tyson Pedro, Justin Tafa, Tai Tuivasa & Israel Adesanya

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Keepin It Fresh brings you all the freshness happening in our Moana communities, from Siva Afi Festivals to Fashion Shows.

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Credits:  

Directors - Penina Momoiseā & Althea Strydom 

OPC - Junior Meredith 

Editor - Sefa Taouma, Laura McBeath

Presenter - Tim Provise 

Additional BTS Footage - Penina & Jirah Momoiseā

Additional Fight footage - UFC 

Thank you Mick Earsman and the UFC