Pride, heritage and heart: Why Pacific flags and parades are about more than sport

For Tasha Talakai and her two sons, cheering on Tonga at the Rugby League World Cup is about more than supporting their team.

It's a chance to celebrate their Tongan identity, experience traditions from their mother's homeland and remember their late father, who shared their passion for Tonga's national league team.

The clash between Tonga 13 and Toa Sāmoa in Sydney this weekend is being seen as one of the most anticipated of the Rugby League World Cup.

Talakai arrived in Australia yesterday with her sons, Jeremiah, 15, and Samuel, eight, after Jeremiah asked for tournament tickets for his birthday.

“From the moment we got out of the airport in Sydney, people who aren't even Islanders are cheering, ‘Go Tonga, go Tonga’,” she tells PMN News.

Talakai says supporting Tonga has always been something the boys shared with their father, Wesley, who died in 2023.

Samuel Talakai, 8, is eager to see his dad's beloved team play in Sydney this weekend. Photo/Supplied

“For us, there's that layer of grief with it. It's something my boys always grew up with, with their dad cheering on Mate Ma‘a Tonga.”

Talakai helped promote this year’s Takapuna parades on Auckland’s North Shore, and has family links to Lapaha and ‘Alakifonua. She says the events give her sons a taste of her childhood.

“In Tonga, the parades are very normal for big events that happen.

Watch Caleb Panapa Marsters' full interview below.

“For them to experience what we always experienced growing up in Tonga, and enjoy it, and really own their identity as Tongans and be proud, they can celebrate through the platform of rugby league and rugby.”

Dr Caleb Panapa Marsters, an Auckland University senior lecturer in Pacific Studies, says the celebrations give young people a way to express their identity, even while they are still learning about their heritage.

“No matter how much knowledge you have of your culture, you can really show that pride.”

Marsters tells Pacific Mornings cultural pride can also protect young people's mental health, particularly for those growing up away from their ancestral homelands.

“Having that pride in your culture is a really big protective factor for your mental health.”

He points to the Cook Islands concept of ‘akapapa‘anga (ancestry), which connects people to their genealogy, relationships and responsibilities to family, community and homeland.

Masters says the celebrations extend beyond the competing teams, with flags from places including Niue and Tokelau, alongside the Tino Rangatiratanga flag.

“These parades are bigger than the flags and the fun times. It's also showing that it's a space where you can celebrate and be proud of yourself as a Pacific person, regardless of how much you know about the game.”

Pacific Huddle host Tuilagi William Leolahi says the scale of support, particularly among Tongan fans, has been hard to miss.

“Double-storey houses are literally in red and white,” he laughs. “I've got a few flags, but I'll show them after Sunday, I think.”

Watch Tuilagi William Leolahi's full interview below.

Men’s competition (all NZ times):

• England v Papua New Guinea - Friday, 30 October, 10:05pm, Wollongong

• New Zealand v Fiji - Saturday, 31 October, 5:30pm, Gold Coast

• Australia v Cook Islands - Saturday, 31 October, 10:05pm

• Sāmoa v Tonga 13 - Sunday, 1 November, 10:05pm, Sydney

Women’s competition:

• Samoa v England - Friday, 30 October, 7:45pm, Wollongong

• Fiji Bulikula v France - Saturday, 31 October, 3:20pm, Gold Coast

• PNG Orchids v Kiwi Ferns - Saturday, 31 October, 7:45pm, Gold Coast