Several changes to Fiji sevens team; PNG Hunters to play at home; and Cricket deal with for PNG and Vanuatu

Iosefo Masi returns to the Fiji rugby sevens squad after a spell playing rugby league.

He has been named in the Fiji squad for the final leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series in the US and for the World Cup in South Africa.

Coach Ben Gollings has made several changes from the team which won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

He says he has included a few players coming back from injury such as double Olympic gold medallist Joseva Talacolo.

Hunters top play again in PNG

The PNG Hunters rugby league team have been given permission by the Queensland Rugby League to play at home this week.

The Hunters' tie against the Mackay Cutters will now be played at the Santos National Football Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Hunters CEO Scott Barker says the club has been working tirelessly with Queensland Rugby League over the last few months to bring the Hunters home and it's

exciting that it will become a realit.

Cricket deal for PNG and Vanuatu

Cricket Australia have struck a partnership with the federal government to help the development of the game in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

The announcement brings cricket into the PacificAus Sports programme, an Australian government sports diplomacy initiative in the region already involving the Olympic movement, rugby league, rugby union, football and netball.

The Australia-Pacific Cricket Linkages project will include allowing Papua New Guinea men's and women's teams to play in competitions in Australia and offer coaching and training support.

Australian indigenous teams will tour Vanuatu and engage with the community with a particular goal of getting more girls into cricket.

The PacificAus programme also operates in Tonga, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Samoa.

PNG to host US and Namibia

Papua New Guinea's cricket team will host the United States and Namibia in the World Cup League Two series early next month.

This will be the first International Cricket Council event that the PNG governing body has hosted since 2019.

Cricket Papua New Guinea domestic cricket manager Lakani Oala told The National that initially Scotland and the United Arab Emirates were to be part of the tournament.

Oala says the turf has to be in perfect condition and the general ground maintenance will need to be tip-top to meet ICC standards.

The event will be held at Amini Park, Port Moresby, from September 2-11.