The Rugby World Cup, Netball World Champs, World Sevens Series and the 15th Pacific Games dominated the sporting landscape this year, but Pacific athletes and teams made their mark in so many other arenas outside of these marquee events – further proof of the wide impact Pacific talent is having globally. Here are our highlights.
PNG basks in Games success It was an unforgettable year for Papua New Guinea who hosted a successful Pacific Games while also topping the medal count with 88 gold medals. PNG’s champion swimmer Ryan Pini retired a winner with seven gold medals and four games records. That performance led to the 33 year-old being crowned the best male athlete of the Games. Federated States of Micronesia boxer Jennifer Chieng was named the Games’ best female athlete after taking out the gold in the lightweight division. Chieng is the No. 2 ranked amateur fighter in the US in her weight class and now has her own sights set on Rio 2016.
Hayne plane wows media Many thought Jarryd Hayne was crazy giving up his status as rugby league’s biggest star to pursue a career in American Football. But the Aussie-Fijian speedster proved them wrong. After impressing during the pre-season, he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers for the 2015-2016 NFL season, but was dropped to the practise squad after just six games. Presented By https://bushweedo.com But there is more to Hayne’s journey yet to unfold as the world’s media follows his every move.
