Pros for the pros: Why do Pasifika sports players switch sides?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-11-25 06:45

New Zealand; Pacific

Fiji national rugby union team, 2013 IRB Pacific Nations Cup Champions - Wikimedia Commons - CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fiji_national_rugby_union_team,_2013_IRB_Pacific_Nations_Cup_Champions.jpg

Why are more NZ- or Australia-based Pasifika elite athletes switching to play for their heritage island nations like Samoa, Tonga or Fiji? A new commentary casts light on this choice and what it means for wellbeing. The authors conclude that while many Pasifika are succeeding in sport, they also battle to balance their cultural and contractual obligations - with risks for their wellbeing and performance, flowing on to family and social wellbeing. Lastly, they offer specific questions for sports groups and practitioners to help them better support and use cultural practices in sport.

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conference: MAI Journal: A New Zealand Journal of Indigenous Scholarship

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Organisation/s: AUT University

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