New Zealand's Cruz Pietersen (C) at the OFC U-16 Men's Championship 2025, Solomon Islands v New Zealand, National Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands, Sunday 24 August 2025. Photo: DJ Mills / www.phototek.nz Photo: DJ Mills / Phototek.nz
Football
Fiji and New Zealand have topped their respective groups, heading into the semi-finals at the Oceania Under-16 Men's Championship in Honiara.
Fiji qualified as the top team from group B, defeating Papua New Guinea 2-0 in the last pool game on Saturday, with PNG qualifying as runner-up from the pool.
Group B competition saw New Zealand thrash Solomon Islands 8-0 on Sunday, while New Caledonia was runner-up, following their 5-0 win over Samoa in their last pool match.
Semi-finals will see Fiji taking on New Caledonia, while New Zealand squares off against PNG on Wednesday.
Rugby
French rugby giants Racing 92 are chasing All Black forward Ardie Savea.
The 31-year-old loose forward is reportedly top of Racing's shopping list and they're prepared to pay top dollar.
Savea is contracted to New Zealand Rugby through to the end of 2027 with the French club keen to to sign him from after the tournament.
According to The Daily Telegraph in Australia, Racing are willing to make him the "highest-paid player in rugby history", eclipsing the deals handed to former All Black Dan Carter and former Wallabies star Matt Giteau in Japan.
Va'a
Reuben Dearlove has claimed Cook Islands' first world gold medal in the 16-kilometre MM50 V1 race, at the International Va'a Federation World Distance Championships in Brazil.
Cook Island News reported Dearlove led from the start, and maintained his position throughout the race.
The Cook Islands Canoeing Association said it was a "well-deserved result" for Dearlove, who has been off the world scene for some years.
Dearlove crossed the finish line in a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes and 1 second.
Tahiti's Rauhiri Varuahi was second and Brazil's Carlos Filho clinched bronze.
Nineteen paddlers competed in the event.
Swimming
Fiji junior aquatic team coach/manager Cheyenne Rova says her swimmers will only get better with their experience at the World Junior Championships in Romania.
Rova said Fiji's four swimmers at the event have shown great courage, stepping up when it mattered most.
She said the support of the club coaches who have guided their preparation, the parents and Fiji Aquatics family at home and abroad have helped the swimmers in their development.
Rova says she was grateful for the swimmers' effort and encouraged by the results.
Vaofahi Afu set a new Tongan national swimming record in the 50 metres breaststroke in a time of 35.86 seconds.
She finished 45th overall after the heats, out of 75 swimmers.
Three Northern Marianas swimmers were also competing at the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships.
Marianas Variety reported Justin Ma, Maria Guerrero, and Moshe Sikkel had four events each.
Cricket
Cricket Papua New Guinea says their national women's team, the Lewas, have prepared well for the upcoming East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup Qualifier.
The Lewas will face off against Pacific neighbours Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu, plus Asian teams Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The winner will progress to the Women's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.
Cricket PNG chairman, Michael Harrison, said they are confident the Lewas will push strongly for a place at the World Cup.
