New-look Tonga union elects Epeli Taione as first head

Epeli Taione, a former Tonga rugby player who controversially adopted the sponsor’s name Paddy Power during the 2007 World Cup and portrayed an All Blacks player in the movie Invictus, has been chosen as the first chairman of the new Tonga Rugby Union.

Taione was elected this week by a vote of 38-16 over the only other candidate for the chairmanship, Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano. The new board met for the first time on Monday.

Taione played for English clubs Newcastle, Sale, Harlequins and London Welsh, South Africa’s Natal Sharks, France’s Racing Metro and Japan’s Sanyo Wild Knights during a 13-year professional career. He also played 18 tests for Tonga and six for the Pacific Islanders.

Taione controversially adopted the name of the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power as a means of attracting sponsorship for Tonga’s campaign at the 2007 World Cup in France. He played at centre, winger and as a backrower during a professional career which ended in December when he retired due to a knee injury. In April this year the former Tonga Rugby Football Union, at a special meeting, adopted a new constitution that allowed the formation of the Tonga Rugby Union. The board members elected on Monday were the first to be chosen by members and not appointed by the Tongan government.

The TRFU operated for two years under government control after concerns expressed by the International Rugby Board over its management. There were fears leading up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup that problems with the administration of Tongan rugby could have led to its exclusion from the Cup.

Taione said he stood for the new chairmanship after being urged by former team-mates and made his priority winning back support from all stakeholders in Tongan rugby as well as “the IRB, the players and, most importantly, the supporters.”

Will Glenwright, the IRB’s general manager for Oceania, insisted Tongan rugby now has a strong administrative foundation. He said: “We’ve spent a lot of time and money in developing an updated constitution that reflects what we would consider to be modern corporate governance principles

Speaking on Radio New Zealand International, he added: “All of the provincial and outer island unions were consulted. We are pleased that a new board has being elected within the framework of that constitution, so we head into a new era.”