Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup 2023 winners, standouts, results, top nation and photo gallery
After hundreds of games the winners have been declared at the second edition of the Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup with one nation dominating. Winners, grinners, result wrap and photo gallery.
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There were hundreds of games, tries galore and thousands of big hits, tackles and blockbusting runs with one nation emerging as the top guns at the end of the event.
The Pasifika Youth Rugby Cup has been done and won for the second year with Samoa winning four of the seven grand finals played at the tournament in Sydney’s west.
The event threw a spotlight on a new generation of rugby players and their heritage with the event bigger and better than in its inaugural year.
We take a look at some of the outstanding results and players at the event on the final day in Sydney where our photographer captured some great moments.
MASSIVE HIT: Day 1-2 stars, results
14S BOYS TOURNAMENT
Tonga came into the final day of the event with three wins from their three games to head pool A from the Barbarians with two wins, Samoa White with one and the Koori side, who were winless.
Samoa Blue, were the standout in pool B with three wins from their opening games, followed by the Cook Islands with two wins, the Maori team with one while Fiji were winless.
In Sunday’s matches, Samoa White beat the Koori team 24-5, Samoa Blue beat the Barbarians 31-0, the Māori side defeated the Koori team 32–0, Tonga beat the Cook Islands 15–5 and Fiji defeated Samoa White 12–5.
The Maori team then defeated Fiji 22-7and the Cook Island beat the Barbarians 14-12.
In this match strong was a standout for the Cook Islands with a try and two conversions.
Tonga then beat Samoa 27-0 in the decider of the 14s event.
14S GIRLS TOURNAMENT
The Barbarians team were undefeated in Pool A to go into the final day ahead of Samoa White with two wins and Tonga with one win. The Fijian team were winless
The Maori team headed Pool B with three wins ahead of the Cook Islands, Koori and Samoan Blue sides who had all notched one win each.
On Sunday the Māori side defeated Samoa 19–15 and Fiji beat the Koori team 24-12 in early games.
The Maori girls then beat Samoa White 19-15.
In the tournament decider the Maori girls came out with intent to beat the Barbarians in a great match 44-35.
In this match Ellshah Paki scored three tries and Talia Berryman and Layla Tonga two each for the Maori’s.
Georgia Wansey scored two for the Barbarians while Gwyn Vernon converted four.
15S BOYS TOURNAMENT
The Maori side lead Pool A in the 15 boys on Sunday morning with three wins from Tonga with two, the Harlequins with one. The Koori side were winless.
Samoa topped Pool B heading into the final day with three wins, followed by Fiji, the Barbarians and Cook Islands, all with one win each.
On Sunday, the Māori team beat Fiji 17–7, the Barbarians had a big 17–0 victory over the Koori side, the Harlequins beat the Cook Islands 19–14 and Samoa recorded a massive 43–0 victory over Tonga.
The Barbarians then pipped the Harlequins by one, 27-26, with Samoa beating the Maori boys 12-0 in the decider.
Waratahs rising stars Phoenix Johns and Iliyaz Viliamu both scored tries for Samoa.
16S BOYS TOURNAMENT
Samoa topped pool A with three wins, followed by Fiji with Two and the harlequins with one. The Koori side were winless.
Tonga topped pool B with Māori team with both recording two wins on the opening day.
The Cook Islands were in third, with a win followed by the Barbarians to, who were still on the hunt for success.
On Sunday, the Cook Islands beat the Koori team 24–0, Samoa defeated the Maori team, 17–0, Tonga defeated Fiji 10–7, and the Harlequins beat the Barbarians 10-0.
The Barbarians then beat the Koori side 29-7.
The Barbarians shared the scoring around with Oliver Metcalf, Noah Spiteri, Levi Mahoney and Tyler Truskett-Jones all going over. Nathaniel Butler scored the Koori teams only try.
Fiji then beat the Maori team 29-14 with the Cook Islands edging the Harlequins 24-22.
Samoa then took down Tonga 22-12 to win this age group.
16S GIRLS TOURNAMENT
The Barbarians topped Pool A heading into the final day with three wins from Tonga with two, the Māori team with one and Samoa White who were winless.
Samoa Blue went into the final day with three wins to head Pool B.
Fiji had two wins with the Koori girls on one and the Cook Islands still chasing a victory.
On Sunday, the Barbarians, defeated Fiji 33 to 24 in the under 16 girls competition with Fiji’s Kiana Vatubua scoring three tries, Samoa beat Tonga 36–5 and the Maori side had a massive 53–5 victory over the Cook Islands.
In that match, Indi Carroll scored four tries and made two conversions for the winning side with Aaliyah Womal scoring twice in the match.
Tonga then beat Fiji 47-26 with Fiji try scoring whiz Vatuba going over for three.
Samoa then downed the Barbarians 49-5 in the decider and Bailey Ma Chong a multiple try scorer.
18S BOYS TOURNAMENT
Samoa led Pool A in the 18 boys heading into the final day with three wins. Fiji Biau and the Koori team both had a win each with the Maori boys winless.
Tonga lead pool B but with two wins from three games - the same as the Barbarians and Fiji Bogi. The Cook Islands had yet to record a victory.
On Sunday, the Maori boys drew with Fiji Bogi 7–7, Samoa defeated the Barbarians 20–12 with Likaei Leota scoring two tries, and Fiji Biau drew 10-10 with Tonga and the Koori side beat the Cook Islands 3-0.
The Maori team then took down the Cook Islands 19-5.
In the decider Samoa again came up trumps with their 27-3 defeat of Tonga.
Tuaomaliemavaitoelau Patea was one of the stars of the show with a try, three conversions and a penalty goal.
18S GIRLS TOURNAMENT
In the 18 girls it was close at the top heading into the final day of action.
Both Tonga and the Cook Islands had recorded four wins each with the Barbarians on two and Samoa and Fiji with one win each from their four games.
The Koori side were winless.
In a close match on Sunday the Cook Islands just pipped the Barbarians, 20–19.
Savannah Toka-Brown scored two tries for the Cook Islands while Pyper Marchant scored a try and made two conversions for the Barbarians.
In the grand final, Tonga beat the cooks islands 39-12.
The Tuipuloto’s were some of the stars of the decider with two tries and two conversions.
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