Tongan Princess Honourable Fane-tupouvava'u Tuita Tu'ivakano conveyed her gratitude on behalf of the Tongan 7s teams which participated at the 2016 Oceania Rugby Sevens Championships in Suva during the weekend.
"From the Tongan perspective, we are so grateful that we were able to participate in the Oceania 7s tournament because it has helped to develop our skills as a team," she said.
She said the players learnt a great deal and had a wonderful experience.
"We are just grateful to be part of a system that works towards our benefit in order to develop our skills and our talents."
She said participating in the tournament had motivated them to continue with their training and develop the sport in Tonga.
"The meet has also encouraged us to develop and make some opportunities to play with other countries as well so that we can also showcase our rugby talents and skills."
She is the patron of the Tonga Women's Rugby Union.
Photo: RNZ