That Pacific Sports Show returns to ABC in 2021

First published April 2021

Credit: ABC

That Pacific Sports Show is a 30-minute television program which showcases and celebrates Pacific athletes and sports. It returns to ABC Australia, ABC Australia iview and ABC iview on Wednesday 7 April 2021.

Pacific athletes are rightly known around the world for their skill, speed and physicality, and they famously dominate Rugby League and Rugby Union competitions.

That Pacific Sports Show shares their stories and explores the issues affecting them and the competitions in which they play. The audience will have the opportunity to meet the sporting world’s most iconic Pacific personalities.

The show is hosted by Tiana Penitani, NSW NRLW, State of Origin and Olympic 7’s rugby union player, who is of Tongan heritage. Tiana is joined by Dene Halatau, former NZ International and NRL legend.

The 2021 season of the show will celebrate the entry and progress of the PNG Hunters in the Queensland Rugby League competition and Fiji’s Kaiviti Silktails in NSW’s Ron Massey Cup.

It will feature sporting legends and upcoming stars including Rugby League legend Petero Civoniceva, West Tiger’s Joey Leilua, ex Rabbitoh John Sutton, former AFL/Port Adelaide player Alipate Carlile and up and coming Wallaroo Sera Naiqama. Returning stars include former Wallaby Tatafu Polota-Nau, Australian Rugby 7’s Olympic gold medallist Ellia Green and comedy duo Roq and Cav, who host Radio Australia’s Pacific sports radio show Can You Be More Pacific.

That Pacific Sports Show, produced by Beyond Action for the ABC, is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through PacificAus Sports. PacificAus Sports is part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Step-up and Sports Diplomacy 2030 strategy, and aims to build sustainable, elite sport pathways between Australia and the Pacific.

That Pacific Sports Show returns to ABC Australia, ABC Australia iview and ABC iview on Wednesday 7 April at 7pm PNG time, 8pm in Solomon Islands, 9pm in Fiji and 10pm in Samoa.

For ways to watch the program in countries across the Indo Pacific, go to abcaustralia.net.au or abcaustralia.net.au/abc-australia-iview . The series will be available for audiences in Australia on ABC iview.

For more information please contact Nick Morris, Manager ABC Sport, at morris.nick@abc.net.au