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Tonga expelled by International Rugby League (Merged threads)

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Farmduck

Farmduck

Posted
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My understanding of the situation - based on common sense rather than any specific regulations or by-laws - is that as soon as they elect a new Board that is acceptable to the RLIF and commit to certain governance standards, they will be back in. Since there isn't a Tonga game until the NRL Rep Round, they have plenty of time to do this.

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Futtocks

Futtocks

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They competed last year with the TNRL suspended, didn't they?

I'd assume that pragmatism would see them included, whether a new national governing body has been sorted out or not.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Farmduck

Farmduck

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Since they are already in the next WC anyway and there are no real "points" accruing from any of the games they are likely to play between then and now, they could continue as an Invitational XIII for a whole year. They just need a manager/accountant to sort out travel and payments and gear for the games. That's not hard given they all have managers many of whom are attached to broader Sports Management companies which already have these services available.

The worst thing that could happen is they'll slip in the RLIF rankings but that can easily be fixed when they get to the WC. Any win against the Top 3 will make up for rankings points they may lose against Samoa or PNG.

Their biggest problem will be finding the right people to take over the Tonga RL. One of their previous Chairs was convicted of pocketing the players' expense money from the 2013 WC but then re-appointed as Chairman of TRL 2 weeks later AND then re-elected to Parliament within a month of his conviction. Even in this case it was almost 4 years before they prosecuted him so he'd been in charge during the 2017 WC as well, I think.

 

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nadera78

nadera78

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Both the King and government of Tonga intervened in the dispute last year, on the side of the players. The fact that Mate Ma'a is Tonga's most successful and highest profile sports team, by a country mile, suggests they will do so again in order to sort this out. 

 

"Just as we had been Cathars, we were treizistes, men apart."

Jean Roque, Calendrier-revue du Racing-Club Albigeois, 1958-1959

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Odsal Outlaw

Odsal Outlaw

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Officially expelled! Would assume there is more at play here surely ... you would think the IRL have a process mapped out to get Tonga sorted of which this is a step ...

Official statement at below link ...

http://www.rlif.com/article/8863/statement-regarding-tonga-national-rugby-league

Nottingham Outlaws Rugby League

Harry Jepson Winners 2008

RLC Midlands Premier Champions 2006 & 2008

East Midlands Challenge Cup Winners 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008

Rotterdam International 9's Cup Winners 2005

RLC North Midlands Champions 2003 & 2004

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Futtocks

Futtocks

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9 minutes ago, Pulga said:

Turns out the board payed for the Union 7s team to go to Hong Kong.... Can you believe it?

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/thats-our-money-andrew-fifita-reveals-how-he-blew-the-whistle-on-tonga-rl/news-story/8df0b4a7d2b0e1f01796dd2e6a5adfd9

Wow! No wonder they've been given the boot. Some serious corruption going on, if even half of Fifita's statements hold water. And that's before giving $80,000 to a sport that would happily see RL die in Tonga.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Sir Kevin Sinfield

Sir Kevin Sinfield

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This is just one of the controversies going on with the Tonga National Team. Cash forfeited by the players which was supposed to go to Rugby League grassroots has been spent on things including funding the Rugby Union Sevens Team.

 

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/thats-our-money-andrew-fifita-reveals-how-he-blew-the-whistle-on-tonga-rl/news-story/8df0b4a7d2b0e1f01796dd2e6a5adfd9

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kiwis 13 6

kiwis 13 6

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3 hours ago, Pulga said:

Turns out the board payed for the Union 7s team to go to Hong Kong.... Can you believe it?

 

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/thats-our-money-andrew-fifita-reveals-how-he-blew-the-whistle-on-tonga-rl/news-story/8df0b4a7d2b0e1f01796dd2e6a5adfd9

theirs an amazing level of generosity of the Ex Pat Pacific Island people in NZ and Australia towards there home nations, but lack of money in Islands and a reasonably high level of corruption of political leaders in the Islands.  There was a FIFA grant given to one pacific Island and i dont think the people who play Soccer in that country received so much as soccer ball! Under old Super League world governing body $ grants were given to countries, one particular country spent the cash then League ceased to exist in the country for a while. Another example is a Pacific Nations Union supporters based in NZ & OZ etc donating millions of dollars to there team to help them play in the world cup, as well the Rugby Union administration in that country getting grants for being in the world cup, Yet professional players had to pay for there own travel and payed a pittance and housed in hotels at inflated prices that were owned by members of the rugby & political Administration. 

Its really important that WRL make sure they have a good balance in Island nations Rugby League administrations of existing political leaders so they can receive status and give status to others from involvement in the game and then have people with vetted financial integrity to control finances and deliver whats need to the players and game in the Island Nations. 

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Keith989

Keith989

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1 hour ago, kiwis 13 6 said:

theirs an amazing level of generosity of the Ex Pat Pacific Island people in NZ and Australia towards there home nations, but lack of money in Islands and a reasonably high level of corruption of political leaders in the Islands.  There was a FIFA grant given to one pacific Island and i dont think the people who play Soccer in that country received so much as soccer ball! Under old Super League world governing body $ grants were given to countries, one particular country spent the cash then League ceased to exist in the country for a while. Another example is a Pacific Nations Union supporters based in NZ & OZ etc donating millions of dollars to there team to help them play in the world cup, as well the Rugby Union administration in that country getting grants for being in the world cup, Yet professional players had to pay for there on travel and where payed a pittance and housed in hotels at inflated prices that were owned by members of the rugby & political Administration. 

I believe its really important that WRL make sure they have a good balance in Island nations Rugby League administrations of existing political leaders so they can receive status and give status to others from involvement in the game and then have people with vetted financial integrity to control finances and deliver whats need to the players and game in the Island Nations. 

I think the Samoan people raised 4 million (Samoan?) dollars for their RU team for the 2015 world cup, which is incredibly generous given the poverty that exists in the island. Nobody was ever held accountable for this money going missing. Unfortunately you get used to hearing these stories about the corruption with rugby on the islands.

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