Posts Tagged ‘Sport’

Tongan prime minister overrides girls’ rugby ban

Monday, March 26th, 2018

An official letter that girls’ rugby and boxing went against Tongan women’s dignity and culture did not represent official government policy says Prime Minister Akilisi Pōhiva.  Continue reading

Joseph Parker keen to collect 22 pies from school principal

Tuesday, December 13th, 2016
Joseph Parker at Marcellin College

Four days out from the biggest fight in his career Joseph Parker took time out to give back to his old school. Speaking at Marcellin College was all the initiative of the former troublesome teenager, now WBO heavyweight champion. “He asked us if he can come to school to help us out in any way,” Read more

All Black great Sean Fitzpatrick speaks at Vatican conference on faith and sport

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016

All Black great Sean Fitzpatrick joined world sports representatives at the Vatican last week at the first-ever global conference on faith and sport Both Fitzpatrick and Argentinian rugby star Hugo Porta spoke at the three-day conference, where the Sport in Service of Humanity project was launched. The project aims to unite people from every faith, nationality Read more

Rugby hero features in Gallery of Good Examples

Friday, July 18th, 2014

New Zealand has a reputation for treating Rugby as the national religion but they have not gone quite as far as a parish in the UK. The parish hall in St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bracknell UK is sporting a painting of recently retired captain of the Irish team, Brian O’Driscoll. He has been included Read more

Sport and violence

Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

I have just read a headline in the New Zealand Herald (6 June 2014) in which All Black coach Steve Hansen describes Jerome Kaino as “a caged animal” who will be doing all that he can to prove that he is at home among the big beasts of the international game.The names given to men’s rugby and Read more

World Cup injustice

Tuesday, April 1st, 2014

Where once an event like the Olympics or the World Cup may have been seen as a triumph of corporate and athletic enterprise, today’s world counts the cost of games much more carefully. Previous events have left countries with decaying venues and huge bills that take years to pay off. Local communities are increasingly unhappy Read more

Mealamu – Being a Christian means having a relationship with God.

Tuesday, December 17th, 2013

In a recent interview in the New Zealand Herald, All Black, Keven Mealamu was asked how big a part faith played in his life. “It’s always with you,” he replied. “I’m Catholic. Go to church whenever I can. When we were on tour in Italy I stopped into a church with a couple of the other boys Read more

Why Sonny Bill Williams converted to Islam

Friday, November 29th, 2013

On Wednesday Sonny Bill Williams became the first Kiwi to be named the Rugby League International Federation player of the year He says his Muslim Faith has helped him to become the man he is today. He grew up a Christian but  meeting a Tunisian family who lived with their five children in a one-bedroom Read more

Spiritual values of sport in spotlight at Vatican

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013

Sprinters took over the main avenue leading to St Peter’s Square on October 20 in a relay race hailed by Pope Francis as a reminder of the spiritual values of sport. The race came at the end of a week in which the Vatican announced the formation of its own cricket club and an Argentinian Read more

Rugby Academy for Apifo’ou College

Friday, September 27th, 2013

A rugby academy is being set at up at Apifo’ou College in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa, by a former principal at the school, Father Selwyn Akauola. Wame Naivalu, from Fiji, an International Rugby Board-accredited coach, trainer and strength and conditioning coach, has been recruited to assist in the setting up of the academy. According to the Tonga Read more