0
They're just deliberately trolling us now right???New Zealand government considers backing Pacific Super Rugby team
SUPER RUGBY
May 15, 2018 9:56am
Source: AFP
The Fiji Warriors perform the Cibi war dance before playing the Force in Perth.
The Fiji Warriors perform the Cibi war dance before playing the Force in Perth.
Source: AAP
THE New Zealand government revealed on Tuesday it has examined the possibility of setting up a Pacific Islands Super Rugby team, reportedly to help offset China’s rising influence in the region.
The team would be known as “Pacific Force” and feature a combination of players from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, New Zealand’s TV3 reported.
It said the Suva-based side would play home matches in all three countries as well as Auckland and Sydney, which have large Pacific populations.
“Part of the plan is that rugby can be a diplomatic force to counter China’s influence in the Pacific,” the report said.
It added: “The idea is that rugby will help keep hearts and minds away from China, which is saturating the region with money to obtain influence.”
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier this year expressed “strategic anxiety” over the Pacific — diplomatic code for Beijing’s rising influence among island nations.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...0671a4c464cf36