Flying Fijians fall as Pacific stars shine across weekend of sporting action

Japan have ended Fiji’s Pacific Nations Cup reign but there was plenty for Pacific fans to celebrate across a busy weekend of rugby, basketball and football.

The Flying Fijians were beaten 20-15 to Japan in Tokyo, missing out on a record-extending eighth Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup title.

This was the third meeting in the final for both sides.

Fiji captain Tevita Ikanivere said they had chances to take control but could not make them count.

“It went right until the 80th minute,” Ikanivere told media post-match. “The 70th minute we had the chance to go and they turned it over.

“I think we dropped too many balls, just gave away too many penalties and just defending too many times in the second half.”

Fiji conceded 14 penalties to Japan’s five while the Brave Blossoms scored the decisive try in the 72nd minute.

They will meet again in October but Ikanivere says the immediate focus is to “take a break” before regrouping.

“Congratulations to Japan, hats off to them… it was a very physical game… and we’ll be better for it next time.”

Fijiana go two-for-two

The Fiji women’s rugby side, however, provided a much brighter result, powering past Hong Kong China 54-26 in the Women’s XV Global series.

Fiji made it two straight wins after their dramatic 38-32 comeback against Spain in their opening match, despite trailing 32-19 at half-time.

This time, six first-half tries put the Fijians in control as they built a commanding lead before the break.

Meanwhile, Sāmoa’s Manusina were unable to find a response against Spain, going down 61-21 for their second straight defeat.

There was also a proud Pacific moment in Edinburgh where Tongan prop Ngano Tavake made her Black Ferns debut in New Zealand’s 66-14 win over Scotland.

Tavake came off the bench in the second half with Black Ferns captain Georgia Ponsonby praising the 25-year-old for the sacrifices she had made to earn her opportunity.

“Super proud of Ngano… I know she’s made a lot of sacrifices to put her hand up to be here. So to see her hard work pay off… very proud of her. I thought she came off the bench and added a real impact as well.

“And she showed the world why she’s meant to be here.”

Breakers start strong

On the basketball court, the BNZ Breakers opened their 2026-27 Australian National Basketball League (NBL) season with a 91-81 victory over the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena.

New head coach Gordie Herbert credited the home crowd and his players’ efforts and team mentality behind the opening-round win.

“First of all, I want to thank the crowd that was here, it was a good crowd and working towards that sixth man mentality,” Herbert told media after the game.

“I congratulate our players, I thought their effort was outstanding, we had some really good individual efforts but I thought our team mentality was great first and foremost.”

The Breakers start strong in front of a lively home crowd, edging the Illawarra Hawks 91-81 at Spark Arena. Photo/Joshua Devenie/Photosport.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright finished with 23 points and 13 assists. Sam Mennenga added 27 points and eight rebounds.

The Breakers next face the Brisbane Bullets on Tuesday, 22 September, with tip-off at 9.30pm NZT.

New Caledonia make history

In football, New Caledonia have made history by qualifying for the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup for the first time.

The French Pacific territory reached the final of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) U16 Women’s Championship in Honiara, securing their place at the World Cup in Morocco despite a 4-0 loss to New Zealand.

The Kiwis maintained their perfect record in the tournament to claim an eighth straight title. But New Caledonia’s run was enough to earn them a landmark spot on the world stage.

Fans celebrated the achievement on social media, with one comment reading: “Big congratulations 👏 Morocco awaits your coming.”

Fiji also finished the championship on a high, claiming bronze after a 6-1 win over Papua New Guinea

The scores were locked at 1-1 at the break before the Fijians came out firing, piling on five unanswered goals, with Varanisese Naiqarau scoring the final goal.