Tuvalu becomes a Full Member of FORU

Tuvalu’s elevation to Full member Status of FORU at the AGM on Friday brings to 14 the number of Unions with Full Member status in Oceania. The Annual General Meeting of FORU in Wellington last Friday agreed unanimously for their status to be upgraded from Associate to Full Member.

Simon Kofe, the President of the Tuvalu Rugby Union spoke to the meeting which included IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset and CEO Mike Miller. He said ‘Tuvalu was the world’s 4th smallest country based on land mass size, having 9 coral atolls with an area of 26sq. kilometres and a population of about 10,500, the 3rd smallest. It is half way between Hawaii and Australia with its highest point above sea level only 4.6 metres.’ Tuvalu now becomes the second smallest member of the IRB’s Regional bodies, with Europe’s Monaco being the smallest.

The name Tuvalu means "eight islands" in the local dialect and although there are nine islands comprising the country today, only eight were initially inhabited so the ninth is not included in its name. Tuvalu was granted full independence on September 30, 1978 but is still a part of the British Commonwealth today. In addition, Tuvalu grew in 1979 when the U.S. gave the country four islands that had been U.S. territories and in 2000, it joined the United Nations.

‘Rugby has been played in Tuvalu for many years and has seen a steady growth after they became an Associate Member of FORU in 2009’ said FORU President Tauiliili Harry Schuster. ‘They really do deserve their new membership status’, said Schuster.

Will Glenwright the IRB General Manager for Oceania commended Tuvalu on their efforts to grow the game over recent years. ‘Tuvalu has over the past few years developed an internal competition programme that includes sponsored events in both the 15-a-side game and also 7’s Rugby. As well as their good commercial programme in gaining sponsorship from Banks and Private sponsors, they work closely with Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC), who are also partners in some tournaments.’ Glenwright also noted that ‘They have taken the opportunity to play in cross-border competitions in Fiji, and this shows that they have good planning and support processes in place’.

Fishing has played an historic role in Tuvalu's economy because the islands have a maritime exclusive economic zone of 500,000 square miles (1.2 million sq km) and because the region is a rich fishing ground, the country gains revenue from fees paid by other countries such as the U.S. wanting to fish in the region.

Recently, Tuvalu has gained significant media attention worldwide because its low-lying land is so susceptible to rising sea levels. The beaches surrounding the atolls are sinking due to erosion caused by waves and this is exacerbated by rising sea levels. The issue of rising sea levels has been a concern for Tuvalu since 1997 when the country began a campaign to show the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, reduce global warming and protect the future of low lying countries.

Tuvalu will seek to make their international debut in fifteens rugby by participating in the Oceania Cup which will be held in Papua New Guinea in December.