Niue Rugby Football Union

{{More citations needed|date=August 2015}} {{Sport overview | country = Niue | sport = rugby union | image = Rugbyniue.png | imagesize = 100px | alt = Niue Rugby Logo | caption = | union = Niue Rugby Football Union | nickname = | first = Turn of 20th century | registered = 290 | clubs = 7 | match = | club_list = }} '''Niue Rugby Football Union''' is the governing body for [[rugby union]] in [[Niue]]. It was founded in 1952,<ref name = rfh-2014/> and became affiliated to the [[World Rugby]] (formerly the IRB) in 1999.

The Niue Rugby Football Union is a member of the [[Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions]] (FORU),<ref name = foru-2014/><ref name = foru-mission/> and was also a member of the former [[Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance]] and was eligible to supply players to the [[Pacific Islanders rugby union team|Pacific Islanders team]].

==Rugby union in Niue== [[File:Niuean haka.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Niue sevens team performing a [[haka]].]] [[Rugby union]] is the most popular sport in [[Niue]].<ref>{{cite book |title=South Pacific and Micronesia |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] |year=2006 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetsout00geer/page/53 53] |isbn=1-74104-304-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetsout00geer/page/53 }}</ref> It is a tier-three rugby union playing nation.

==National team== The [[Niue national rugby union team]] first started playing in 1983. They have yet to qualify for the [[Rugby World Cup]].

Niue won the current [[FORU Oceania Cup]] in 2008, defeating [[New Caledonia national rugby union team|New Caledonia]] 27–5 in the final on 1 September 2008.<ref>[http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200809/s2352343.htm?tab=sport "Niue take Oceania Cup rugby union final"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916221921/http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200809/s2352343.htm?tab=sport |date=16 September 2008 }}, ABC Radio Australia, 1 September 2008</ref>

==History== Teams from Niue have competed in the [[Commonwealth Games]].

When Niue competed in the 2001 Wellington 7s, they took a completely local-based squad, and though they scored tries against [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[Canada national rugby union team|Canada]], they were crushed in most games. Infamously, they surprised everyone by beating Japan 31–19 in 2002.

The New Zealand player [[Frank Bunce]] is the great nephew of Sir [[Robert Rex]], the former Premier of [[Niue]].<ref>{{cite book |title=South Pacific and Micronesia |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] |year=2006 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetsout00geer/page/358 358] |isbn=1-74104-304-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetsout00geer/page/358 }}</ref>

==See also== *[[Niue national rugby union team]] *[[Niue national rugby sevens team]] *[[Niue Island Sports Association]]

==References== {{reflist|refs= <ref name = foru-mission>{{cite web |year= 2013 |title= FORU's Mission |website= oceaniarugby.com |access-date= 11 November 2013 |url= http://www.oceaniarugby.com/home.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131111013512/http://www.oceaniarugby.com/home.html |archive-date= 11 November 2013 }}</ref> <ref name = rfh-2014>{{cite web |date= 2014 |title= National Unions List |publisher= Rugby Football History |access-date= 2 February 2015 |url= http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/National_Unions_List.htm |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141009222631/http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/National_Unions_List.htm |archive-date= 9 October 2014}} </ref>

<ref name = foru-2014>{{cite web |date= 2015 |title= Niue Rugby Union |publisher= FORU |access-date= 2 February 2015 |url= http://www.oceaniarugby.com/member_unions/foru_member_union_niue.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140518064556/http://oceaniarugby.com/member_unions/foru_member_union_niue.html |archive-date= 18 May 2014 }}</ref> }}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110925013354/http://www.irb.com/unions/union=11000060/index.html IRB Niue page]  * [http://www.oceaniarugby.com/member_unions/foru_member_union_niue.html Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions, Niue page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518064556/http://oceaniarugby.com/member_unions/foru_member_union_niue.html |date=2014-05-18 }} * [http://www.pacificnationsrugby.com/teams-Niue.aspx Oceania Nations, Niue]

[[Category:Rugby union in Niue]] [[Category:Organisations based in Niue]] [[Category:1952 establishments in Niue]] [[Category:Rugby union governing bodies in Oceania]] [[Category:Sports organizations established in 1952]]