'Ikale Tahi are ready

"This would have to be the best prepared Tongan team ever, there will be no excuses regarding the fitness of these boys" says Jim Love. This has been the down fall of all previous Tongan Teams, ability alone cannot win matches and players in the past were never fit enough to play the full 80 minutes. Most matches that the Ikale Tahi have played were always close in the first 20-25 minutes, in the first half and 5-10 mins into the second half, then the flood gates would open as players started to "hold those hips up". 

After a very successful two-week camp in Rotorua, the boys have been training the house down at their base in Canberra.

Training twice a day, sometimes three, Jim believes that his team can do anything in the  World Cup." They are busting out of their skins to play, I just hope we can hold it and unleash it on Italy first up."

Fans will be heading down to Canberra in droves.  Buses have been booked to leave from Sydney on Wednesday morning to take down the Ikale Tahi army. Never before has so much support been seen for the Ikale Tahi as parents and their kids rush to buy the new Ikale Tahi 2003 RWC Jersey. Sekem have sold out of their first two deliveries and are pushing to get a third in as the major sports stores have all sold out as well.

The new design will only be available for the RWC; the Ikale Tahi will go back to their traditional red after the competition.