Challenges for Tongan Rugby
I put it here because the article is about Aussie rules, but note the highlighted sections. Anyone else sometime feel that the administration of rugby is embarrassingly amateur? They whinge that the other sports keep dominating, but when did they last do something actually original? Seriously, getting rugby on TV here is all too hard but the AFL can get live coverage each night of the weekend in Tonga?
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Baby Izzy and Peni become part of AFL vanguard in the South Pacific
Israel Folau's code switch has made a splash - and big ripples - far offshore, writes Michael Cowley.
On Wednesday night, as Israel Folau was bringing to an end his State of Origin career with Queensland, at Blacktown the first evidence of the influence of his move to the AFL was being witnessed.
For Tongan youngsters Simote Taunga and Peni Mahina, Wednesday was a night to never forget. Not only had their South Pacific AFL team finished just 15 points adrift of the powerful Queensland under-16 team, but they were playing football, at the same time, in the same city, as their cousin - and hero - Folau.
Like their cousin, they both played another game, rugby, before switching to AFL ''around a year ago''. Now, with ''Izzy's choosing our sport'', they would not dream of returning to the other game.
''I played on the wing in rugby like Israel, but I enjoy AFL more now. It's exciting he's playing AFL, too,'' said Taunga, who, because he is 190 centimetres and because of a striking resemblance, has been dubbed ''Baby Izzy'' by his teammates.
Added Mahina: ''We started playing AFL through school, and now that Izzy is playing it, more people in Tonga will start to play the game.''
Peni's father, Malakai, is the cousin of Folau's father. He is a development officer for the game in Tonga, and said there was ''great excitement'' there when Folau signed with Greater Western Sydney earlier this year.
''When we heard on the news that Izzy had signed for AFL, we were so very happy,'' Malakai said. ''It will help build AFL in Tonga. It's very new right now, but when all the people heard Izzy signed, they began bringing their kids down to have a look at playing the game. Israel is a real role model for the youth of Tonga.''
Malakai says ''around 800 kids'' now play AFL in Tonga, with the game popular in schools. Interest has soared this year with the introduction of live telecasts.
''We would only get some Wallabies and All Blacks games but now, every Friday and Saturday and Sunday, the AFL is on TV,'' Malakai said. ''As a development officer, it's very helpful for us. Everyone is watching the game and learning about it now that Israel has signed to play AFL.''....etc, etc
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...708-102cy.html
