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Requiem mass to be held on Monday for priest who coached Tonga’s national team on ’69 tour

By
Philip Cass
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Former coach of the Tongan rugby team, Fr David Mullins, has died.

A funeral service will be held for him in Auckland next Monday.

The Marist priest was coach of the Tongan team, which became the Ikale Tahi,  during its tour of New Zealand in 1969.

His involvement with the team began when he was a teacher at Apifo’ou College, the largest Catholic school in Tonga.

He later became the school’s principal.

Fr David Mullins (2nd to the left 2nd row) with his ‘Apifo’ou College team which won the intercollege rugby tournament in 1961

His Apifo’ou 1st XV senior team won the intercollege rugby tournament in three consecutive years including 1961.

Tonga’s national team made its New Zealand debut in the 1969 tour against Hamilton Bays and lost by only one point in a game played in fog.

Despite the 22-21 loss, the team was praised for its skills on the field and its courtesy off the field.

The team went on to defeat New Zealand Maoris in two tests.

Fr Mullins also contributed to the formation and establishment of the Tonga Rugby Board.

He spent 35 years in Tonga in all.

He was a director of Catholic education and Vicar General of the diocese for a time.

He was also deputy editor of Taumu’a Lelei, the Catholic church’s newspaper in Tonga.

Later he spent seven years working as chaplain to migrant Tongans in the United States and New Zealand.

He moved to the Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Glen Eden in late 1998, becoming its second longest serving parish priest.

Fr Mullins’ links with sport in Tonga were not forgotten after he left the kingdom. In 2014 he was guest of honour at a reception hosted by the 2019 Pacific Games Organising Committee.

Fr Mullins was born in Christchurch on September 29, 1930 and ordained at St Mary’s Church, Christchurch, on July 15, 1956.

His father, Jack, was a World War One veteran who captained Canterbury in rugby and was a long serving sports editor at the Christchurch Press.

Fr Mullins died at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Ponsonby, Auckland, on Monday.

A vigil service will be held at the Little Sisters of the Poor, 9 Tweed Street, Ponsonby, Auckland this Sunday, December 30, at 4pm.

A requiem mass will be celebrated at St Patrick’s Church, 19 Sunset View Road, Panmure, Auckland next Monday, December 31, at 11am.

The main points

  • Former coach of the Tongan rugby team, Fr David Mullins, has died.
  • The Marist priest was coach of the Tongan team, which became the Ikali Tahi,  during its first tour of New Zealand in 1969.
  • Fr Mullins also contributed to the formation and establishment of the Tonga Rugby Board.

For more information

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish of Glen Eden

History

Tongan rugby team in Nelson

Rev. Father David (Society of Mary) Mullins

Search continues for father who rescued wife at Laulea

By
Kalino Latu
-

A search at sea at Laulea Beach, Fatumu, for the father who hasn’t been seen since Christmas day continued today.

Viliami Vaka’uta, 24, is presumed dead after he attempted to save her wife in the water at about 2pm.

Police reportedly said a palangi man was also rescued after he attempted to help save the wife.

The incident devasted the family.

A relative claimed on Facebook this evening December 27 Police and the rescue team have not found him.

“The divers and the rescuers are still out there searching for his body. It has been the worst Christmas ever for his families and our families,” she wrote.

 “My heart breaks for my niece and I can not begin to imagine how she feels and listening to my sister crying out to me makes it much even harder !!!”

“I felt so helpless that I cant even hug her and her daughter and be there to comfort them. My heart goes out to his mother and his father and all his families.”

 Laulea beach is one of the most dangerous places in Tonga to go swimming due to powerful rip currents and waves that are known to sweep people out to sea.

In 2017 Soane Tangipa ʻAtaʻata died after he went swimming at the beach.

In 2015  ‘Inoke Mapaleve Mo’unga, 32,  of Kolonga drowned at the beach after  visiting there with his wife and friends.

In 2012   Catholic priest, Father Mikaele Mateo , 37, died at Laulea Beach while helping to rescue his five young nephews who were swept out to open sea by strong currents.

Fire commissioner Lofia Heimuli reportedly dies

By
Kalino Latu
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Tonga Fire Service CEO Lofia Heimuli has died in Australia, reports said this afternoon.

It is understood Heimuli was currently on holiday leave when he died.

He was expected to retire from his job in March 2019, a reliable source told Kaniva news.

This is breaking news. More soon.

NZ fashion show picks contestant for 2019 Miss Heilala pageant

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s Miss Heilala 2019 pageant kicked off in New Zealand last week with Tuitui and Brilliant Star Fashion Show selecting its contestant for the kingdom’s beauty competition.

Miss Soana Falahola ‘Aleva, 23, will represent the Fashion Show in Nuku’alofa in about seven months time.

The double major Bachelor of Arts student works as a creative member for Do Good Feel Good, a dance tutor for Selwyn College and the Youth Town Parnell. She is a professional hip hop dancer, a youtube vlogger (as ‘Jojo’) and a krump dancer.

‘Aleva also worked as a radio announcer for Niu FM and is a Tongan youth show host for Radio 531PI. She also worked as a Youth Co-ordinator for the Tongan Youth Trust and graduated from Radio Training School with a diploma in Journalism, Multimedia and radio broadcasting.

The daughter of Tongan choreographer and Radio 531 PI Tongan producer Losalio Milika Pusiaki, ‘Aleva was selected during the Fashion Show’s catwalk exhibition which was held at the Otara Community hall on Friday night.

Brilliant Star Fashion Show is not new to the Miss Heilala competition and other New Zealand and international beauty pageants.

The first time it participated in the Miss Heilala competition in 2017, its contestant, Miss Titania Tiara Monic Matekuolava, became the first runner up.

She came second to Ophelia Kitiliti Kava who was crowned Miss Heilala 2017.

Matekuolava later in 2017 was sponsored by the Tuitui Fashion Show to join New Zealand’s Face of Beauty International Ltd’s Super Model competitions in which she was crowned as Miss International Supermodel Tonga 2018. This gave her an opportunity to travel to Thailand and represented Tonga during the Face of Beauty International 2018.

The Fashion Show sent another contestant to Miss Heilala 2018, but she was unsuccessful.

Fashion designer Tuitui Folauhola Tonbar, the Director of Tuitui Fashions Show and Brilliant Star, said she willingly supported beauty contests and fashion shows because they helped her talent and her business a lot.

The main points

  • Tonga’s Miss Heilala 2019 pageant kicked off in New Zealand last week with Tuitui and Brilliant Star Fashion Show selecting its contestant for the kingdom’s beauty competition.
  • Miss Soana Falahola ‘Aleva, 23, will represent the Fashion Show in Nuku’alofa in about seven months time.

For more information

Miss Heilala runner up to represent Tonga in world competition

Man injured in Papatoetoe stabbing

By
Kaniva Staff
-

(Stuff, Fairfax Media) A man has been taken to hospital after being stabbed at a south Auckland address.

Police were called to a “disorder” at a property in Wyllie Rd, Papatoetoe at 1.30am on Boxing Day.

When police arrived quite a few people were drinking at the address, a spokeswoman said.

The injured man was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition. 

A police spokeswoman said inquiries were ongoing and police were talking to multiple people, but no one had been arrested.

Stealing at PM’s wife’s grave “disrespectful,” daughter says

By
Kalino Latu
-

The alleged theft of two decorative lights from the grave of the Prime Minister’s wife’s Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was disrespectful, a daughter of Hon. Pōhiva said.

The incident occurred just four days after the body of Tonga’s First Lady was buried on December 19.

The Prime Minister’s daughter ‘Ana Koli Fifita said the family had decided not to lodge a complaint with the Police.

She said if such robbery had happened while her mother was still alive Neomai would not complain, implying she was a woman who had a great sense of patience.

Koli said she went to the cemetery early on Sunday morning, December 23, and realised the lights had gone.

She told Kaniva news the lights had been put on top of the grave as a dedication by Neomai’s grandchildren.  

She said she regretted this kind of disrespectful behaviour.

As Kaniva news reported last week, Neomai  was laid to rest at Telekava 1 community cemetery in Kolomotu’a, Nuku’alofa.

The Prime Minister’s 70-year-old wife, who bore him seven children, “died peacefully” after a long battle with cancer.

Koli also posted her complaint on Facebook.

A commentater on her post said the same thing had happened to her husband’s father’s grave after July.

She said they installed a memorial stone, a banner and decorated the grave with lights but when they visited the cemetery again in September the lights had all gone.

Another online writer said the same thing had happened to a relative’s grave nearby.

Another person said Neomai had suffered during the political struggles she and her husband had gone through during her life and now she was dead some unscrupulous people continued to harrass her.

Online comments have denounced the theft of the lights as “evil.”

The main points

  • The alleged theft of two decorative lights from the grave of the Prime Minister’s wife’s Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was disrespectful, a daughter of Hon. Pohiva said.
  • The incident occured just three days after the body of Tonga’s First Lady was buried on December 19.

For more information

Queen Nanasipau‘u leads mourners at First Lady of Tonga’s funeral services

Queen Nanasipau‘u leads mourners at First Lady of Tonga’s funeral services

Strong earthquake hits Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

A 6.4 earthquake has rattled residents across Tonga.

USG  said the earthquake strikes 82 kilometres north north east of Nuku’alofa at 11.08am (UTC Time). It was 100.2 kilometres depth.

Our correspondent in Tonga said he ran outside of his house when the quake hit.

He said it went on for about less than a minute.

There was no casualty reported or tsunami threat alert issued.

There was also no report of damage.

Tonga’s earthquake came after Indonesia’s disaster agency said 222 people were dead and hundreds more injured after a tsunami struck coastal areas around the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java on Saturday (Dec 22) night.

“222 people are dead, 843 people are injured and 28 people are missing,” Indonesia’s national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday evening.

“This number is predicted to increase because not all victims have been successfully evacuated, not all health centres have reported victims and not all locations have got complete data.”
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/tsunami-indonesia-168-dead-beaches-volcano-krakatoa-11057318

Tongan rugby league team aggrieved at ‘small profit’ from sold-out Auckland test against Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
-

(Stuff, Fairfax Media ) Tonga Rugby League officials are disappointed at their poor return for their historic test against Australia  in Auckland last October.

A TVNZ One News report on Sunday said the Tongans received “virtually no proceeds” despite the sold-out game attracting 26,214 mainly Tongan fans.

The match was organised by Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) organisation, who reaped the majority of the profit.

Tonga Rugby League (TRL) president Semisi Sika told One News his organisation saw little of it.

Andrew Fifita leads the Tongan Sipi Tau against Australia.
ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORTAndrew Fifita leads the Tongan Sipi Tau against Australia.

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 “Once you feel you are being used and abused, that’s when things are going to start changing.”

The TRL were also aggrieved at not being given VIP tickets for their sponsors, who support the Mate Ma’a Tonga team. 

Melino Maka of the Tongan Advisory Council says the NRL needs to change its attitude.

He said it “should treat Mate Ma’a Tonga with respect.”

Tonga star Jason Taumalolo on the charge against Australia.
PHOTOSPORTTonga star Jason Taumalolo on the charge against Australia.

The NRL told One News  it only made a “small profit” from the game but, the television network claimed it had received a confidential independent analysis which had estimated the match made around $1 million, after expenses.

The NRL statement said many of its other international matches, including mid-year Pacific tests, ran at a loss, so surpluses from matches like the Tonga-Australia test underwrote poorer performing events.

One News said the leaked report also stated the Tongans were treated in an “unfair and likely underhand manner,” and an inquiry was warranted.

Its report said the Australian players were paid $5000 each, but the Tongas got $3000 per man.

“Tonga desperately wanted to have a match against Australia,” Maka said.

“Australia NRL took advantage of Mate Ma’a Tonga.”

Prisoner should never have served time in prison says judge as he discharges case

By
Philip Cass
-

The Supreme Court has discharged a man after serving 32 days of a sentence for theft.

In his judgement Judge L.M. Niu said the man, Paula Misieli Moala, had pleaded guilty, together with another accused person, to theft of a generator valued at TP$4500.

They were sentenced by the Magistrate Court to 12 months imprisonment reduced to nine month on account of their guilty pleas and having had no previous conviction.

Neither of them had legal counsel.

On November 24, an appeal was filed on the grounds that the sentence should have been fully suspended because the accused had no previous conviction and was likely to take the opportunity to rehabilitate himself.

On December 7 the Lord Chief Justice granted bail and the appellant was released from prison on the same day.

Judge Niu said the whole of the nine months imprisonment sentence ought to have been suspended.

“However, because the appellant has already served 32 days of that sentence in prison before he was granted bail, both counsel, and the appellant himself, and I, agreed that because imprisonment has been served for 32 days, his sentence should simply be those 32 day,” the judge said.

He said Moala should not have served any sentence and there should be no further penalty hanging over him.

The main points

  • The Supreme Court has discharged a man after serving 32 days of a sentence for theft.
  • Paula Misieli Moala, had pleaded guilty, together with another accused person, to theft of a generator valued at TP$4500.

Supreme Court suspends final year of drug sentence after accused makes late guilty plea

By
Philip Cass
-

The Supreme Court has sentenced Christopher Ta’ufo’ou to  more than two years in jail for possession of marijuana.

Ta’ufo’ou was sentenced to two years and three months for possession.

He was arrested on  March 17, 2017, after being found in possession of a substantial amount of cannabis, totalling 635.54 grams.

This comprised one bag containing cannabis found on the front lawn, one cannabis branch with leaves found in the living room and one bag with cannabis seeds found in the first bedroom.

Police also found three bundles of cannabis plant branches found in the ceiling and four cannabis branches found in the ceiling.

In addition, seven bags containing small plastic bags suitable for packaging small amounts of cannabis were found.

He was charged with possession of illicit drugs and possession of a 22. 22 calibre long rifle live ammunition without a licence.

On July 14, 2017, he pleaded not guilty to both counts, but shortly before the trial he pleaded guilty to count one and the Crown withdrew a charge of possession against his wife and offered no evidence on the second count.

Judge Cato said he would suspend the last year of Ta’ufo’ou’s sentence on condition that he not commit any offences punishable by imprisonment for the term of his suspension;

He would be placed on probation for the period of his suspension;

He would also be required to undergo a course on drug abuse with the Salvation Army.

“Although not a first offender, this is the prisoner’s first conviction of drugs,” Judge Cato said.

“His plea of guilty was not a timely plea, being on the point of trial, but I take into account that the Crown withdrew a second charge of possession of ammunition and a charge of what would have amounted to joint possession against his wife, also at this late stage.

“I will accordingly give him full credit for his guilty plea and expression of remorse. I also take into account, but only to a limited degree, that he is the breadwinner for his family and they will be deprived of his maintenance whilst he is in custody.”

The main points

  • The Supreme Court has sentenced Christopher Ta’ufo’ou to  more than two years in jail for possession of marijuana.
  • Ta’ufo’ou was sentenced to two years and three months for possession.
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