Vanuatu national rugby league team
| ||||||
| Governing body | Vanuatu Rugby League | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Asia-Pacific | |||||
| Head coach | John Nash | |||||
| Captain | James Wood | |||||
| Home stadium | Port Vila Municipal Stadium | |||||
| First international | ||||||
 Vanuatu 14–24 Greece  (Port Vila, Vanuatu; 20 October 2012) | ||||||
| Biggest win | ||||||
Vanuatu 48–30 Solomon Islands  (Mackay, Australia; 7 October 2013) | ||||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||||
Vanuatu 16–32 Philippines  (Luganville, Vanuatu; 11 October 2014) | ||||||
| World Cup | ||||||
| Appearances | 0 | |||||
The Vanuatu national rugby league team represents Vanuatu in international rugby league matches. The team was founded in 2011 and is administered by the Vanuatu Rugby League (VRL).
History
The Vanuatu national team was founded in 2011 after Australian Dane Campbell began to promote rugby league in Vanuatu.[1] Campbell was the inaugural head coach of the team. They played their first match in the Cabramatta International Nines on 4 February 2012. Joe Meninga, nephew of Mal Meninga, was selected in Vanuatu's squad for the tournament.[2] The team were undefeated in reaching the final, where they lost to the Australian Aboriginal team.
Vanuatu played their first test match against Greece on 20 October 2012, which they lost 14-24.[3][4] On 20 August 2013, David Simpson was announced as head coach, succeeding the inaugural head coach Dane Campbell.[5]
International results
| Date | Opponent | Score | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 October 2012 | Greece | 14-24 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila | |
| 7 October 2013 | Solomon Islands | 48-30 |  Stadium Mackay, Mackay | 1,648 |
| 12 October 2013 |  Niue | 22-20 | Port Vila Municipal Stadium, Port Vila | 3,022 |
| 11 October 2014 | Philippines | 16-32 | Chapius Stadium, Luganville | 2,021 |
Current players of Ni-Vanuatu descent
- Alehana Mara (debuted for Vanuatu against Greece on 20 October 2012[6])
- Justin O'Neill
- Zac Santo
- Travis Waddell
References
- ↑ http://globalrugbyleague.net/?p=1061
- ↑ "Vanuatu Rugby League announces national team". Vanuatu Daily Post. 19 December 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012.
- ↑ http://rugbyleagueplanet.com/international-rugby-league-features/211-vanuatu-rugby-league/702-greece-defeat-vanuatu-in-port-vila
- ↑ Bryan, Andrew (6 November 2012). "Lazarus' Greek Odyssey". NRL.com. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- ↑ "New Squad and Coach announced". VanuatuRL.com. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- ↑ "Alehana Mara happy to help Vanuatu in long-term World Cup quest". Radio New Zealand. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
External links
- Official website
- Vanuatu national rugby league team on Twitter
- Vanuatu national rugby league team on Facebook