New Zealand

However, they still went on to top off Group A with a 4-0 win over Papua New Guinea yesterday afternoon.

New Zealand managed the change in conditions and stadium well – all things – considered although their opponents were much more at home climate-wise.

After having their bench completely obliterated by suspensions following the match against Tahiti, Papua New Guinea were left with just two substitutes, including reserve keeper Baxter Morris, for their game against the defending champions.

In September they will launch the Tonga Business Network with a goal to establish other Pacific business networks as well.

Their work follows an economic strategy put in place by the New Zealand government to grow Pacific businesses.

The Pacific economic strategy 6 year plan launched in 2015 aims to see more sustainable Pacific-owned businesses in the country and increase their access to mentors and business networks.

SBN's Co-founder Laura Keil-Hall said the goal is to create a wider Pacific Business Network within New Zealand.

This funding, signed over last Thursday, will be used by the FFA to improve catch documentation schemes for the agency's members over the next five years.

The FFA deputy director general, Matthew Hooper, said this project would help members to access high value export markets while tackling illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

Mr Hooper said it aimed to ensure the member countries could maintain market access, by improving traceability along supply chains through the integration of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance systems.

When the coalition government came to power last year, it announced a so-called Pacific reset to New Zealand's foreign policy, and this year's budget saw a surge in funds for the foreign ministry.

In a speech on Friday, Winston Peters announced what he called the next steps in that reset, saying his eyes were wide open to "New Zealand's decreasing influence" in the Pacific.

Mr Peters said New Zealand is looking to redefine its spending by partnering with others in projects which last for 50 years or longer, pointing to support for a Kiribati land reclamation project.

The government is currently debating whether to hold the referendum in 2019 because it's not sure holding it at the 2020 General Election would be a smart move politically.

The referendum on legalising marijuana was part of the confidence and supply deal struck between Labour and the Greens - although Winston Peters' backs one too.

Justice Minister Andrew Little said the government's contemplating holding it next year, rather than in 2020.

The New Zealand Herald reports the Foreign Minister Winston Peters welcomed the pledge on closer co-operation in the Pacific made by his British counterpart Boris Johnson following talks between the pair in London.

The two foreign ministers discussed a range of issues including future negotiations on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement post-Brexit in March 2019, and Peters reiterated New Zealand's support for the UK following the attack in Salisbury.

RLIF chairman John Grant was invited to attend the NRL CEO's meeting, along with representatives of the NZRL and England's Rugby Football League, to discuss with clubs and the RLPA concerns about the flight time and recovery process for players in the Test.

The RLPA is still working through some issues with the countries but there is an acceptance that the Test will go ahead after the NZRL outlined details of the insurance coverage and medical processes for Kiwis players.

Since Hubbard became eligible to compete in international events at the start of last year, she has polarised views in the weightlifting community, particularly in the Pacific.

Head coach of the Samoan team Jerry Wallwork remains firmly opposed to Hubbard competing at the Games.

"A man is a man and a woman is a woman and I know a lot of changes have gone through, but in the past Laurel Hubbard used to be a male champion weightlifter," he said.

Secretary-general of the Oceania Weightlifting Institute Paul Coffa takes a much more conciliatory line.

Toko Kopu, 57, joined the gang aged 15, and rose to become president of an influential Mob chapter.

Life in the gang involved major drug deals, barking like dogs and using Nazi slogans like "sieg heil", he told Daily Mail Australia.

After a period that included robbing a bank and bashing a cop, Kopu traded in his patch for the controversial Destiny Church through its "Man Up" programme, which aims to raise better fathers, brothers and sons.

Young men often turned to crime and gangs because of absent fathers or abuse they suffered, Kopu said.

Jacinda Ardern last week led the Pacific Mission to Samoa, Niue, Tonga and the Cook Islands on her first official visit as Prime Minister.

Aupito William Sio, who travelled with the PM, says there is a definite shift in New Zealand's focus in the Pacific.

"New Zealand is firmly anchored in the Pacific and it was important to transform the relationship from a donor-aid recipient to a one of partnership," he says.

"I think the Pacific governments, the people of the Pacific countries that we visited, certainly felt something different."