Former All Blacks, Wallabies in line to play for Tonga rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tonga is hoping to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Photo: RNZ Pacific/Vinnie Wylie
A squad of New Zealand based players has been training under head coach Tevita Tu ifua for the past three years, which formed the core of teams that have competed in the men s Oceania Sevens Championship, World Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Tonga Rugby Union CEO Peter Harding said the New Zealand based programme has kept men s sevens alive for Tonga but with Covid-19 still prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere, they have decided to only select players who are already currently playing professionally in Europe.
Tonga 7s chasing progress vs Samoa, NZ rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
RNZ
3 March, 2021, 9:39 am
Former All Black Charles Piutau is among a host of Pacific Island rugby stars playing for Bristol. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former All Black Charles Piutau’s long-held dream of representing Tonga could finally become reality at the upcoming Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with dual eligibility can switch their international allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they had a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
Piutau played the last of his 17 tests for the All Blacks in 2015 and first stated four years ago that he would love to represent his Tongan heritage.
Charles Piutau poised to finally complete Tongan switch rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.