Breakfast Bites - the FIJI & PACIFIC SPORTS NEWS Podcast - a TEIVOVO Digital Podcast #TeivovoRugby

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 28 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Sunday morning 28 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Ireland, Great Britain, Australia and USA remain in the hunt for the Women’s title at the HSBC SVNS Perth 7s today, while it’s Argentina vs Ireland and Fiji vs Australia in the Men’s Cup semifinals starting at 5.10pm, following a thrilling day of rugby sevens action in Perth yesterday. Where the Fiji Airways Men came from 14-7 down at halftime to beat the All Blacks 7s 14-21 in their final pool game and they later beat USA 7-14 in their Cup quarterfinal yesterday. Argentina 28-21 Ireland, Spain 17-14 France and Australia 31-12 South Africa in the other Men’s quarters. Ireland Women beat Fijiana 12-14 in their quarterfinal last night, so in the Women’s semifinals at 4.22pm this afternoon it’s Ireland vs Great Britain and Australia vs USA. The Women’s Cup Final will be held at 9.13pm tonight followed by the Men’s Cup Final at 9.53pm. In rugby league: Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton has declared they won’t block any move by Tevita Pangai Junior to make a shock return to the NRL. “Tevita parted ways with the Bulldogs on extremely good terms,” Warburton told the Daily Telegraph. “We wish nothing but the best for Tevita and his family for their future.” Pangai Junior walked away from A$750,000 a year with the Bulldogs to take up professional boxing, and has reportedly met with the Brisbane Broncos to discuss a return in the second half of the 2024 season, according to The Daily Telegraph. There has been no deal offered by the Broncos yet, where Pangai Junior started his NRL career, playing 96 games before being released in 2021. Maybe he has run out of cash? In football: Manchester City moved into the FA Cup fifth round in dramatic fashion after their Dutch defender, Nathan Ake’s controversial goal with just two minutes left in the fourth round clash, clinched the holders’ 1-0 and first ever win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since it opened in April 2019. In other FA Cup fourth round action, Chelsea were held 0-0 by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, as was Nottingham Forest held to a 0-0 draw by Championship giant-killers Bristol City at Ashton Gate. In SportsBiz: While India with a population of 1.428 billion enjoys a slight edge over China at 1.425 billion in overall population - each of which is roughly quadruple that of the US, China has hosted two Olympics in the last 16 years, and won 713 Olympic medals to India’s 35 all-time. Since 2000, China has not finished worse than third in the overall medal count at the Summer Games. The only nation with a better track record is, of course, the US. In the NBA: Reigning MVP Luca Doncic scored 73 points along with 10 rebounds and seven assists as Dallas outlasted Atlanta 148-143 to join basketball royalty Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and David Thompson in the record books as just the fourth player to reach 73 points in an NBA game! And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 27 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Saturday morning 27 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: The HSBC SVNS Perth 7s yesterday the Fiji Airways Men beat Samoa 7-14 in their first pool game and France trashed the All Blacks 7s 17-33 in the Perth Pool of Death. Later, NZ beat Samoa 12-17 and Fiji came from well behind at halftime to bite France in the bum 21-26. Team Fijiana 7s bashed Brazil 15-40 and smashed Spain 0-31. They play France at 2.22pm today, while Fiji Men play the All Blacks 7s at 5.25pm in their final pool game. The Women’s quarter finals start at 7.26pm tonight, with the Men’s cup quarter finals starting at 10.10pm with the semifinals tomorrow afternoon. In rugby league: Tongan tough guy, Tevita Pangai Jr is looking to don Broncos colours in 2024 to complete a shock return to the NRL. According to The Courier Mail, Pangai Jr has held talks with Broncos powerbrokers about a potential return to the NRL, only six months after he walked away from an A$750,000 a year contract with the Bulldogs, citing his desire to chase a professional boxing career and retiring from rugby league at the end of the 2023 season In football: Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp announced a shock decision yesterday that he will leave the Club at the end of the season because he was “running out of energy”. Klopp, who has returned Liverpool to one of European football’s powerhouses since taking over at Anfield in 2015, said the decision to leave was one “I have to take”. In SportsBiz: Real Madrid brought in US$901Million in revenue during the 2022-23 season, more than any other Club in the world, according to findings in the 2024 Deloitte Football Money League report. Manchester City, which topped last year’s list, brought in US$895M. Rounding out the next three Clubs: · Paris Saint-Germain: US$869M · Barcelona: US$867M · Manchester United: US$808M Deloitte also reported that Clubs from the US and Brazil are catching up to their European counterparts. Inter Miami has publicly set a revenue goal of US$200M for 2024. Hitting that mark would place them at No. 29 on the current list. This year’s 30th-ranked club, Everton, brought in US$214M. In Women’s football, familiar Clubs dominate the list: · Barcelona: US$14.5Million · Manchester United: US$8.7M · Real Madrid: US$8M · Manchester City: US$5.75M · Arsenal: US$5.75M In boxing: It’s official - Australia’s WBO Super Welterweight World Champion Tim Tszyu will fight American star Keith Thurman in Las Vegas on Sunday 31 March according to ESPN – with Tszyu’s arch rival Michael “Pretty Boy” Zerafa also set to fight for a world title on the same card against WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara. In the Australian Tennis Open: The king is dead: After 2195 days unbeaten in Melbourne since 2018 actually, Novak Djokovic has finally been dethroned, as Italian young gun, Jannik Sinner snapped the Serbian tennis legend’s Australian Open streak 6-1 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3. Long live the King! And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 26 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Friday morning 26 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: The HSBC SVNS Perth 7s starts today! Can Fiji win their first HSBC SVNS 7s Series Tournament? The double Olympic champions face reigning Series title holders New Zealand as well as France and Samoa in the Perth Pool of Death. The Fiji Airways Men take on Samoa at 6.38pm today in their first pool game and play France at 11.31pm. They play the All Blacks 7s at 5.25pm on Saturday in their final pool match. Team Fijiana 7s runs out against Brazil at 4pm today, followed by Spain at 8.47pm tonight. They play France at 2.22pm on Saturday in their final pool match, followed by the quarter finals starting at 7.26pm Saturday night. In rugby league: The Panthers are taking over CommBank Stadium - home ground of fierce arch rivals Parramatta Eels. Penrith will play all of their home games there in 2025 This after the NSW Government unveiled plans for a new Penrith Stadium, with an upgrade increasing capacity to 25,000. The works will see BlueBet Stadium closed after the end of the 2024 season and reopening in time for the 2026 campaign. And Broncos boss, Kevin Walters has put his son Billy on notice by re-signing hooker Tyson Smoothy until the end of 2025. Walters Jr cemented the No. 9 jersey in Brisbane last year as they charged to the grand final, but there’s plenty of competition for his spot. Walters will be the starting hooker in Round 1 but Smoothy, Cory Paix and rising star Blake Mozer will no doubt keep him on his toes. In football: Ivory Coast are looking to loan Les Bleues Manager, Hervé Renard until the end of the Africa Cup of Nations after the host nation advanced to the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth - as one of the best third-place finishers. The former Saudi Arabia Manager is currently managing the France women’s national team. In SportsBiz: Just hours after announcing a landmark US$5Billion-plus deal with WWE, Netflix said it has reached 260,280,000 subscribers, expanding its status as the world’s largest streaming platform. Up from 247million subscribers a quarter ago, Netflix’s latest quarterly results showed a 12.5% bump in revenue to US$8.8Billion and US$938M in net income, up from US$55M in the prior-year period. In boxing: ESPN is reporting that Australia’s WBO Super Welterweight Champion Tim Tszyu will fight American star Keith Thurman in Las Vegas on Sunday 31 March and his arch rival, Michael Zerafa will also fight for a world title on the same card. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Ki ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 25 of Breakfast Bites the FIJI & PACIFIC SPORTS NEWS PODCAST, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a bit of a wet and grey Thursday morning 25 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. In rugby union Captains of the best 12 Men’s and Women’s rugby sevens teams in the world are in Perth, ahead of the hotly anticipated third round of HSBC SVNS 2024 starting tomorrow! With victories in Dubai and Cape Town in December, Australia’s Women lead the standings, six points ahead of France and New Zealand and are set to go for another title on home soil where they will face Canada, Great Britain and South Africa in Pool A. Rivals and reigning Series and Olympic champions New Zealand will meet USA, Ireland and Japan in Pool C, while France, Fiji, Brazil and Spain will compete in Pool B of the women’s competition. In the Men’s comp, Argentina will take on Dubai champions South Africa in Pool A along with Canada and Spain. While Australia’s Men will play Ireland, Great Britain and USA in an exciting looking Pool B. Double Olympic champions Fiji face reigning Series title holders New Zealand as well as France and Samoa in a very tough Pool C.In rugby league The NZ Warriors have agreed to fly their former player Ronald Volkman to New Zealand and pay for the surgery on his injured shoulder. For Volkman, it’s welcome news after what has been a brutal few weeks, with the young halfback left without a club for 2024 and career in limbo. Volkman left the NZ Warriors at the end of last season to sign a 12-month deal for 2024 with the Saint George Dragons, however, that contract was torn up after the playmaker’s shoulder injury came to light.In football Ivory Coast has sacked their national team Manager Jean-Louis Gasset after their 4 nil thrashing by Equatorial Guinea capped a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations pool stage. The AFCON host nation has a slim chance to qualify for the round of 16. In SportsBiz The NBA is less than four months away from opening up negotiations for its next set of US media rights deals. Its deals with current broadcast partners - ESPN and TNT, worth US$24Billion in total, expire after the 2024-25 season, and the NBA will no doubt be looking for a huge increase. The NBA has never sold an exclusive streaming package for the USA, and interested bidders apart from Amazon, ESPN, and TNT could include NBC and streamers like Apple and Netflix.And one final look back as US Sports in 2023 And one final look back as US Sports in 2023: · Saudi Arabia splurged billions on sports · The streaming giants invaded live games In college football, the Pac-12 blew up · Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a US$700Million homer · Crypto-currency took a nosedive, leaving some sports stars red-faced · Sports media rights got a facelift and ESPN burped. And that’s a wrap! For TEIVOVOsports.com I’m Culden Kamea - Mahalo, vinaka and thank you. Please hit the subscribe button below if you would like to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites.And tank you all too mas for all your love and support. Mahalo, vina’a and tank you all too mass for all your love and support.#BreakfastBites #TEIVOVOsports #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 24 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Wednesday morning 24 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: The hot topic around Kava circles in Fiji last night is, a leak from inside Rugby House that the Fiji Rugby Union interim Board has asked the popular Head Coach of the Fijian Drua, Mick Byrne to apply for the same role of the Flying Fijians. You gotta question their motives – why rush this appointment when they can leave it to a Board appointed by the Unions? Are they doing this in the hope that Byrne’s popularity with the fans will rub off on them? Only time will tell. In rugby league: Wests Tigers have released David Nofoaluma from the final two years of his contract. The out-of-favour wing accepted the Club’s offer to buy out his contract for A$300,000. The Tigers then released a statement which said the parties had agreed to terminate the contract by mutual consent, effective immediately. At only 30 years old, Nofoaluma still has a few more years to play. Will he end up back in Melbourne? In football: The President of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea declared yesterday a public holiday and offered their national soccer team a bonus of two million euro for their 4-0 win over the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast. This after Equatorial Guinea, with a population of only 1.6-million people and with a team comprised mainly of players from the lower leagues in Spain, upset the Ivorians 4-0 on Monday in the heaviest defeat suffered by a AFCON host nation, and one of the biggest shocks in AFCON finals history. Before the game, the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea had offered the players a bonus of 50,000 euro per goal as an incentive. Meanwhile, aided by a controversial penalty, the Socceroos have secured top spot in their Asian Cup pool with a 1-1 draw against an impressive Uzbekistan. In SportsBiz: Since they can’t beat Man City on the pitch, Man U has lured a key executive across town to Old Trafford: Omar Berrada is stepping down as Chief Football Operations Officer of City Football Group in order to become CEO of Man U. Berrada has worked for Manchester City in various capacities since 2011, and is widely credited with aiding the Club’s recent success both on and off the field. In combat sports: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has a new job. On Tuesday, TKO Group Holdings, Inc., the company that owns WWE and UFC, announced that the WWE legend has joined its Board of directors. Additionally, Johnson has been granted full ownership of "The Rock" trademark, which was previously owned by WWE. Finally in Tennis: Give it up for Novak Djokovic! The Serb tennis great is just two wins from making history as the only player to collect 25 Grand Slam singles titles. His quarter final win at the Australian Open last night was his 33rd consecutive victory in Melbourne, a startling run stretching back to 2018. Djokovic, who has never failed to win the Australian Open once he reaches the semi-finals, is level with Margaret Court on 24 majors. In men’s tennis he is two clear of the injured Rafael Nadal and four ahead of the retired Roger Federer. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 23 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Tuesday morning 23 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Lawyers representing Wallabies star Kurtley Beale say CCTV video from the night of an alleged sexual assault is “at odds” with some claims from the alleged victim. Police allege the former NSW Waratahs star forced a 28-year-old woman to have oral sex with him in the toilets of Bondi’s Beach Road Bar on 18 December 2022. Beales’ lawyer told the Court “We have evidence the woman who makes these accusations followed Mr Beale into the toilet and not the other way around.” In rugby league: The Las Vegas-bound NRL clubs - the Broncos, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles are reportedly calling for an urgent meeting with the NRL as confusion grows around players getting visas. The Clubs are worried whether all their players will be granted visas to be able to enter the US, let alone play in Vegas. In football: Real Madrid scraped a controversial and dramatic 3-2 win over winless Almeria that left La Liga’s bottom team furious. Madrid trailed 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu before Jude Bellingham converted a penalty and Vinicius Junior used his upper arm to divert home an equaliser, before they scored a last-gasp winner in the 99th minute. Madrid had three key VAR decisions in their favour, including Vinicius’ goal which Almeria considered handball, an Almeria goal ruled out and the penalty given to Madrid. “We’ve been robbed,” complained Almeria midfielder Gonzalo Melero. His teammate Marc Pubill told DAZN, “Someone decided that we weren’t allowed to win here at Bernabéu today, and that’s what happened. Nothing more.” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti disagreed, “I think the VAR decisions were well judged,” he told reporters. In SportsBiz: Since its debut last fall, the Sphere in Las Vegas is increasingly becoming a sports fixture. Now, the next-generation venue is raising its rates for its LED display during the week leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. Display time on the Sphere that initially sold for US$450,000 per day and US$650,000 per week has risen to between US$1Million and US$2M per day, closing in on the 11 February Super Bowl at nearby Allegiant Stadium. In fact, the Sphere has already sold out its Super Bowl week advertising. In combat sports: After Dricus Du Plesis stripped Sean Strickland of his UFC Middleweight title at UFC297 last weekend, the fans are all screaming for an “African Showdown” against former champ Israel Adesanya in the upcoming UFC300. But the Kiwi-Nigerian UFC star will have nothing of it, citing an injury and saying that he will not be ready. Finally in the NFL: Two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for the tight end’s second touchdown of the game, helping the Kansas City Chiefs to a sixth straight AFC Championship game in pipping the Buffalo Bills 24-27. With it, the duo passed Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski for the most touchdowns by a quarterback-receiver duo in NFL postseason history with 16. Meanwhile Travis’ bro Jason, was pictured shirtless in a VIP box with Taylor Swift. So exactly which Kelce bro is Taylor’s main Swiftie squeeze? And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 22 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Monday morning 22 January 2024.Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Remember Jordan Mailata? The big Aussie-Samoan went from junior rugby union player to Souths unknown rugby league player, to tens of millions of dollars in the NFL.Now former Brisbane Broncos development squad member Jotham Russell is one of two Australians to have been chosen for the 2024 class of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.The Canberra-born Russell played prop for Tweed Seagulls under 21’s in 2023 but is now off to the US where he’ll train in front of NFL scouts in March.In rugby league: Normally ice-cool Nathan Cleary has revealed the emotional toll his long time halves partner Jarome Luai’s departure next year, has had on him.Cleary told The Sydney Morning Herald that he was saddened by Luai’s decision to leave the club, but hopes he can chase one last premiership with his partner in crime.“I’ve played alongside ‘Romy’ my whole Penrith career, since we were 15 years old, which makes it even tougher,” Cleary said.“I never could have pictured Romy in another jersey. Now he’s secured his future, we can focus on this year and try to make it special ... it’s my last ride with him.”In football: France goalkeeper, Mike Maignan led his MC Milan team off the pitch as AC Milan’s dramatic 3-2 win at Udinese was temporarily halted due to racial abuse by ignorant Udinese fans who aimed monkey chants at Maignan during the first half of their game.Referee Fabio Maresca stopped play and a livid Maignan stormed down the tunnel with his teammates.In SportsBiz: The UFC handed out more than US$9Million in disclosed US$50,000 post-fight bonus cheques in 2023.What will the total be this year?So far in 2024, UFC has dished out US$400,000 through just two events, with new UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis and former champ Sean Strickland earning bonuses for their epic clash yesterday.In combat sports: Dricus du Plessis is the new UFC middleweight champion after defeating Sean Strickland by split decision 48-47 x 2 judges and 47-48 in an unforgettable title fight in UFC297 in Ontario, Canada yesterday.It was an historic night for du Plessis, who became the first ever South African-born UFC Champion.While a rematch is likely on the cards, du Plessis called out bitter rival and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who has taken an extended break from the sport.“Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score,” he said.And that’s a wrap!For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites.Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support.#TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 21 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Sunday morning 21 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: The Fiji Barbarians are the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s Champions for 2024, after they super-sized the McDonald's Saunaka 7s team 5-22 to win the final and $20,000 cash in front of a packed house at Lawaqa Park, RugbyTown yesterday. Earlier on the final day, the Fiji Babaas halted the historic run of the New Zealand Development 7s team 17-21 in their tense semifinal. In the other Men’s comp finals – the Plate saw Ravuka 14-12 Dominion Brothers, Bowl Final - SRS Tubarua Highlanders 10-5 EMS Tabadamu and in the Shield Final - Ambassador All Stars 24-26 Ba Originals. A New Zealand Women’s 7s side, masquerading as Matakesi won the Women’s comp, beating Mount Masada 19-24 in their finals clash, after Fresh’et Navy ran out of puff in their semi. The Youth Cup saw a bit of an upset, with Dominion Brothers Youth team tripping up the Fiji U20 10-12. Earlier in the day Fiji U20 spent all their energy walloping the Japan SDS U18 team 7-35 in their semifinal clash. So congratulations to Sir Ben Gollings! In rugby league: “We are thrilled to welcome the International Player Pathway program Class of 2024,” said Peter O’Reilly, Executive Vice President International in the NFL. He added, “As we focus on the global growth of the game, expanding international talent within the NFL is critical — connecting our sport with fans across the world.” The NFL implemented a rule change this past year to give NFL teams an extra spot on their practice squad to use for international players. So will this open the door for more Pasifika talent in the NFL? In SportsBiz: Texas University athletic department reported an NCAA record US$271Million in operating revenue for 2023 fiscal year, according to USA Today. That’s nearly US$32M more than the school’s 2022 revenue and more than the previous high of US$251.6M reported by Ohio State in 2022. And this summer, the Longhorns will move to the SEC, where they will see an uptick of more than US$20M in media rights revenue. The 2023 fiscal year was also a record-breaking one for the athletic departments at LSU with US$200.46M and Tennessee, which came in at US$202.09M. In combat sports: In UFC297 in Ontario, Canada today – the main event – a UFC Middleweight Title fight between UFC Middleweight Champion, Sean Strickland of the USA against his opponent from South Africa, Dricus Du Plessis is expected to start around 4pm. Sean Strickland’s record is 28-5 and he is 1.85M tall, weighing in at 84Kg with a reach of 193cm. Challenger Dricus du Plessis is 20-2, also 1.85M tall, also 84Kg, and just like the Champion, his reach is exactly the same at 193cm. Now is that a match-up or what? And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 20 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Saturday morning 20 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: All the final day action in the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s kicks off at 8.45am today. In the Men’s Cup semifinals: Fire vs McDonald's Saunaka 7's and the Fiji Babaas vs the NZ Development 7s. This is very likely the very first time any overseas team has made it past the quarterfinals in any rugby 7s tournament in Fiji, so congrats to Sam Dickson and his boys! Last night in the Cup quarterfinals: Fire 10-0 Ravuka, NZ Development 14-12 Dominion Brothers, McDonald's Saunaka 7's 21-14 Ratu Filise and Fiji Babaas 14-12 Army – the defending champions. In the Women’s Cup semifinals: Matakesi vs Ezers and Mount Masada vs Fresh'et Navy. In the Youth Cup semifinals: Dominion Brothers vs Southland Broncos and Fiji U20 vs Japan SDS U18. In rugby league: Toa Samoa rookie Sua Fa’alogo continues to get better at the Melbourne Storm, and shapes as the obvious replacement at fullback if Ryan Papenhuyzen is unavailable. The young gun scored two stunning tries on debut last year and was one of the best players on the field for Samoa against Australia. In football & SportsBiz: First came the big-time media money for the US Women’s Soccer League. Now, comes the record-setting player contracts. Not long after the league signed US$240Million worth of media broadcast rights contracts with four networks - the most lucrative set of media deals in women’s sports history – US women soccer players are now seeing unprecedented deals of their own: The Chicago Red Stars signed US national team star striker Mallory Swanson to a US$2M contract spanning four years, setting a new league record. The Houston Dash inked a US$1.5M contract with forward María Sánchez, over three years. As well, the NWSL salary cap this season is doubling to US$2.75M per Club. In combat sports: “I'm okay dying as long as you die with me" UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland freaks out his opponent from South Africa, Dricus Du Plessis before they clash in the main event of UFC297 tonight in Ontario, Canada. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 19 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Friday morning 19 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Hooray for upsets at the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s at sunny Lawaqa Park RugbyTown yesterday! And it started early too, in the McDonald’s Men comp’s pool B, where Fire doused the Zack Test-coached USA Falcons 5-22, followed by McDonald's Saunaka beating EMS Tabadamu with two converted tries to Ratumaitavuki 14 zip in pool D. In Round 2 of the Men’s comp, despite Pacific Nomads losing heavily to BDK Yalovata 43 nil and the USA Falcons falling again – this time to Ba Originals 14-10, the Sir Gordon Tietjens-coached Ambassador All Stars “titched” Devo Babas 5-26 with tries to Rico Syme, Fletcho Carpenter, Gaspo Lalli and Sairo Vunisa. The New Zealand 7s Development side also recorded a good win, just pipping Ravuka 15-17. In the final McDonald’s Men game of day one, Army ambushed Ratu Filise 12-19. So Army, Fire, New Zealand Development 7s, Fiji Babars and McDonald’s Saunaka teams all recorded two-out-of-two wins and so are looking good for the quarterfinals late today. In the Shangri-La Yanuca Island Fiji Women’s comp, Fresh’et Navy sailed into port late and scored two good wins to lead pool C, while champions Seahawks had their make-up smudged by Matakesi 22-7 to prise open pool A. In pool B, Mount Masada and the beauties from Kadavu lead a tight race for top spot with two wins apiece. In the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort Youth games watch out for Japan SDS U18 in pool B. They played some excellent rugby 7s yesterday with wins over Dominion Bros Youth 17-22 and the Barbarians 7-28. The Fiji U20 lead pool A and Southland Broncos head pool D also with two wins each heading into day two, while pool C is wide open. Games in the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s kick off today at 9am, with the Women’s and Youth competitions running through until about 1pm, before the Men’s games kick in until 3.30pm. From then on it’s finals playoffs games, with the Women’s Cup quarterfinals from 3.25pm followed by the Youth Cup quarters from 4.45pm. The Men’s competition restarts at 12.55pm, with their Cup quarter finals kicking off at 6.05pm. In rugby league: The Broncos have rejected a release request from Tristan Sailor to take up a lucrative deal with the Leigh Leopards in the UK Super League. The Daily Telegraph is reporting the Broncos want to keep Sailor as a back-up to Reece Walsh after he signed an extension with Brisbane through until the end of the 2025 season. Sailor was outstanding as a fill-in for Walsh in four games last season and his added value is, that he can cover multiple backline positions. In football: Manchester United’s failure to advance out of UEFA Champions League pools this season has forced the Club to lower its 2024 fiscal revenue forecast by nearly US$20Million. After originally expecting to bring in US$862M, Man U is now only projecting US$843M, with the additional prize funds of the Champions League no longer attainable. In SportsBiz: US$31,500,000 – that’s the fees that the Raine Group will collect for advising Manchester United owners, the American Glazer family on bringing in new investor, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who acquired a 25% stake in the English Premier League Club for US$1.3Billion according to Bloomberg. In combat sports: Top British promoter cum fighter Manager, Eddie Hearn has bet US$1Million on his fighter, Anthony Joshua beating former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, managed by Frank Warren, who has happily taken the bet for when the two fighters clash in Saudi Arabia in March. Let’s get it on! And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 18 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Thursday morning 18 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: The best international Club rugby 7s tournament in the world - the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s Kicks off in RugbyTown at 9.30am with rugby royalty all over the show – Dan Norton, Semi Kunatani, Sir Gordan Tietjens, Rasta “the Ref from Ra” and Blitzboks star Kyle Brown. Yesterday the tournament honoured rugby 7s icon, Sir Gordon Tietjens and English speedster, Dan Norton with their plaques in the “RugbyTown Walk of Fame” on the footpath out front of Sigatoka River Safari, along the banks of the mighty Sigatoka River. At 9.30am this morning, the Shangri-La Yanuca Island Fiji Women’s comp gets underway, followed by the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort Youth games from 10.25am and then the McDonad’s Men’s competition kicks off from 11.40am with a ripper between the New Zealand 7s Development versus the McDonald's Ambassador All Stars, with all games in the above competitions on grounds one and two. Round Two of the Women’s games runs through from 1pm to 2.30pm followed by R2 of the Youth comp running through until just before 4pm. R2 of the Men’s comp throws the visiting international teams up against local teams for the first time in the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s, with some ripper match ups as follows: · 4:05 Ambassador All Stars vs Devo Babas · 4:23 NZ 7s Development vs Ravuka · 4:41 USA Falcons vs Ba Originals · 4:59 Fire vs Dominion Brothers · 5:17 McDonald's Saunaka vs SRS Tubarua Highlanders · 5:35 Fiji Babaas vs EMS Tabadamu · 5:53 Pacific Nomads vs BDK Yalovata · 6:11 Army vs Ratu Filise The big question is – can any of the overseas teams beat our local rugby 7s teams? In rugby league: The NRL have made a law change concerning contested restarts in 2024, in a bid to encourage teams to take risks to regain possession. “The change is designed to incentivise more contests for the ball from set restarts,” the NRL said in a statement yesterday, announcing the move which the league believes will give teams “more incentive” to attempt short kick-offs or drop-outs. So what is the change? If a team kicks the ball out on the full over the touch line, or the ball fails to travel at least 10M forward in an attempt to contest a restart from the goal-line, 20M line, or half-way line, play will now restart with a play-the-ball 10M out from the line of the kick, rather than with a penalty. In football: Inter Miami will travel to El Salvador this week to kick off their international tour, covering more than 23,000 miles for six games in five different countries over 20 days. The schedule is unprecedented for an MLS team, but it’s the new reality for a franchise looking to capitalize on the legendary Lionel Messi in every way possible: · So on Friday Inter Miami play the El Salvador national team, in San Salvador · Jan 22: FC Dallas, at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Texas · Jan 29: Al-Hilal in Riyadh · Feb 1: Al Nassr in Riyadh · Feb 4: Hong Kong all-stars · Feb 7: Vissel Kobe in Tokyo Back home, Inter Miami will host one final preseason game on Feb 15 against Atlético Newell Old Boys, for whom Messi played in his youth. In SportsBiz: As the Australian Open moves into second-round play, the first Grand Slam of 2024 is already on pace to break the attendance record it set last year. With the first two days of tennis in Melbourne attracting more than 169,000 fans, this year’s pace could easily see the tournament close in on one million total fans against an all-time tournament high of just over 839,000 spectators at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park in 2023. In combat sports: World No 1, Novak Djokovic repeatedly challenged a heckler in the stands during his fiery second round match at the Australian Tennis Open last night shouting, 'Come say that to my face' between serves. The exchange appeared to help Djokovic as he upped his level to reach the last 32. Later, Aussie star, Nick Kyrgios offered to jump into the stands to defend the Serb fighter . . .er Tennis player! And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 17 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Wednesday morning 17 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union BREAKING NEWS: Warren Gatland holds no ill-feeling towards Louis Rees-Zammit, who dropped a bombshell on Yesterday when he quit rugby union to try his hand at American Football just minutes before he was to be named in his Wales' Six Nations squad. Rees-Zammit, 22, was to become a central figure for Wales coach Gatland in the next cycle up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, but instead will pursue a career in the NFL. In rugby league BREAKING NEWS: After six months of blushing denials, trying to keep a lid on their budding romance, Panthers star Nathan Cleary has confirmed that he is in a relationship with Matildas star Mary Fowler. Welcome to Australian sport’s newest power couple! Aging Kiwi, Kieran Foran plans to play beyond 2024 with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting he is closing in on a one-year extension with the Titans. Foran will be 34 by the end of this season but said this week: “physically I feel as good as ever.” “I battled a few niggling injuries last season, but the fact I was able to punch out the minutes I did … gave me great belief,” Foran said. He struggled with injuries during his three-year stint with the Bulldogs, but has managed to play 20 or more games in each of his last three seasons. “There’s plenty of fuel left in the tank.” The New Zealand international has played 282 NRL games over 15 years with six different clubs. In football BREAKING NEWS: José Mourinho has been sacked by Roma this morning! This despite questions being raised about whether Roma could afford to sack the Portuguese maestro only yesterday, given his infamous “sack me early and you pay big time” clause in his contract. Early wild speculation is that Jose is heading back to Stamford Bridge! In SportsBiz: The NFL wild card play-off game between the Chiefs and the Dolphins, which aired exclusively on Peacock, is the most-streamed event in US history, averaging 23 million viewers. This despite some fans outrage last week about the game being available exclusively on the streamer @ US$5.99. The Chiefs-Dolphins stream beat out last year’s Saturday night wild card matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers, which drew 20.6m viewers on NBC. Peacock paid US$110Million rights to this year’s wild card game, which will be up for auction again this offseason and intended for a streaming audience. In boxing BREAKING NEWS: Ryan Garcia and his now estranged influencer wife, Andrea Celina separated on Christmas day 2023 due to irreconcilable differences according to Court filings. Garcia announced their divorce two days after she gave birth to their second child together – a boy. Celina is still living in her husband's US$3Million California home. Don’t leave girl! And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 16 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Tuesday morning 16 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Wallabies star Kurtley Beale faced court yesterday for the first day of a criminal trial into allegations he sexually assaulted a 28-year-old woman at the Beach Road hotel, near Bondi Beach, late at night on December 17, 2022. Police charged the 35-year-old rugby veteran with one count of sexual intercourse without consent, and two counts of sexual touching. Beale has adamantly rejected the allegations and pleaded not guilty. In rugby league: Former Parramatta Eels outside-back Waqa Blake is joining St Helens in the English Super League on a one-year contract for the 2024 season. Released by the Eels at the end of the 2023 season, the Fijian Bati has played over 150 games in the NRL, including a stint with the Penrith Panthers from 2015 to 2019. There were rumours that Blake was considering a code switch to rugby union after reportedly talking with the Western Force in the middle of last year. In football: Man U’s new co-owner, Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance for the first time since agreeing a deal to take a 25 percent stake of the English giants for US$1.3Billion. But Tottenham twice came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw yesterday morning, cancelling out rare goals from Man U forwards Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford. In SportsBiz: Amazon at US$1Billion and Google at US$2B are paying the NFL for media broadcast rights per year. Viewership of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football on Prime Video was up 24% during the 2023 season, reaching an average audience of 11.86 million viewers per game. Amazon paid another US$100Million for the inaugural Black Friday NFL game - Dolphins-New York Jets matchup that experimented with integrated shopping features. Despite underperforming TNF with 9.61 million viewers, Amazon said it hopes to do it all over again next Thanksgiving weekend. Google is typically coy about publicly confirming subscriber numbers for YouTube TV, but a recent estimate from MoffettNathanson said 7 million viewers. In September, the NFL said that Sunday Ticket already boasted more subscribers than it had on DirecTV in 2022. Meanwhile, Business Insider reported that YouTubeTV subscribers grew by 48% from 2022 to 2023. In combat sports: After surging to prominence with big wins in 2023, top heavyweights “Big Bang” Zhang Zhilei (26-1-1, 21 KO) will square off against Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KO) in the undercard of the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou fight on 08 March in Saudi Arabia. Kiwi-Samoan warrior, Parker is younger than Zhang by eight years, In the NFL: The Dallas Cowboys horror post-season run continues, after they suffered yet another embarrassing playoff loss 32-48 to the Green Bay Packers in their wild card clash. The Cowboys finished the regular season as the NFC’s second seed, were rated 7.5 point favourites to beat the Packers and continue their streak of 16 straight home wins, however Green Bay and their emerging quarterback Jordan Love had other ideas. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 15 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Monday morning 15 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Kenya Men had to work for their gold medal vs Chile 5-12, to win the World Rugby HSBC 7s Challenger 2024 in Dubai yesterday. Earlier, Kenya beat Uruguay 5-21 and Chile 15-7 Germany in the semi-finals. Later Uruguay claimed the bronze medal 12-7 Germany. China were the dominant force in the women’s competition and secured gold with a 19-5 win over Kenya in the final, gaining revenge for their 17-12 loss to the same opposition in Friday’s pool match. China had earlier cruised into the final thanks to a 45-5 thrashing of Uganda in the semi-final, while Kenya saw off Argentina 17-0. Argentina were impressive throughout the weekend and claimed the bronze thanks to a 36-10 win over Uganda. Last year’s Challenger champions Tonga Men came 5th after losing to Japan 28-5. Papua New Guinea Men beat Mexico 10-47 for 11th place and PNG Women beat Hong Kong 0-31 for 9th spot. In rugby league: Last season, the Broncos attack went to a whole new level with Reece Walsh on fire, while the Rabbitohs lost their way in attack and defence without Latrell Mitchell as they went from first early in the season to miss the finals. Meanwhile, the Eels fell off a cliff with their shockingly poor completion rates. So where will these NRL foundation Clubs end up in 2024? Panthers star Jarome Luai is aiming to play in next month’s World Club Challenge against Wigan after undergoing shoulder surgery in October. Luai left the NRL grand final win against the Broncos in the second half after suffering a shoulder injury, and went under the knife soon after. In football: Cole Palmer converted a penalty late in the first half to fire Chelsea to a 1-0 win over west London rivals Fulham. Later, Kevin De Bruyne inspired a Manchester City fight back on his first taste of Premier League action for five months to beat Newcastle 2-3 and close to within two points of the top of the Premier League. In SportsBiz: One of the most impactful and lucrative athlete endorsement deals in sports history is over. Golf icon Tiger Woods confirmed that he has ended his 27-year relationship with Nike. The athletic footwear and apparel company is believed to have paid Woods an estimated US$500Million since signing the superstar in 1996 at just 20 years old, and has been deeply intertwined with the ups and downs of his career, including 15 major tournament victories and 82 PGA Tour event wins since then. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 14 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Sunday morning 14 January 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Day two of the World Rugby HSBC 7s Challenger 2024 in Dubai saw teams from four different continents qualify for the semi-finals. The Women’s semi-finals sees China vs Uganda and Argentina vs Kenya. The Men’s semi-finals: Kenya vs Uruguay, Germany vs Chile. Uruguay – already qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris – will face Kenya in the semi-finals after they overcame last year’s Challenger champions Tonga 14-21. Papua New Guinea Men and Women lost all their pool games. In rugby league: A Pasifika rugby league pioneer in Australia, Amenatave Gutugutuwai has died at 76 of prostrate cancer. There were times when Gutugutuwai slept in the dirt and caught birds and bats for sustenance, but he rose to become one of Queensland's great multicultural pioneers. Born Ratu Amenatave Gutugutuwai in Nakasaleka, Fiji in 1947, the six-time Fiji rugby union representative was recruited to Australia in 1969 to play rugby league for Brisbane's Southern Suburbs Magpies. Gutugutuwai was among the first South Pacific Islanders to play the sport in Australia, but he also helped to pave the way for migrants of various backgrounds. Last year the National Rugby League reported 45 per cent of its players were of Pacific Island descent. Former International Rugby League and Australian Rugby League Chairman, John Grant said the decision of Brisbane Souths to recruit Gutugutuwai and his compatriots was one of the turning points in Australian sports history. "It was hugely significant and now rugby league attracts the stars from the Pacific and has become much better for it," Grant said. "It was breakthrough stuff, something that had not even been considered before and crowds that year were phenomenal,” he added. The long-time Logan resident passed away on 03 January. Gutugutuwai was a father of six and had five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In football: Former Melbourne City prodigy, Jordan Bos entered Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar as a second-half substitute and found the back of the net with his first touch of the ball in the 73rd minute, to score his first goal for the Socceroos and open their Asian Cup campaign with a sluggish 2-0 win over India. In the NFL: The New England Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick have parted ways after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl victories together. Belichick, who turns 72 in April, had one year remaining on a contract that paid him US$25Million annually, more than any other coach in the NFL. Belichick has 333 career wins, but in four seasons without Tom Brady, he is just 29-37 with one playoff appearance. And that’s a wrap! For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites. Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji #womensrugby #rugbygirls #wrugby #ladiesrugby #womeninsport #woman #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #fitness #weightlifting #training #team #rugbytraining #sports #rakavi #DevelopmentFiji