Radio Australia has launched a weekly radio show focusing on sports in the Pacific islands with rugby union and rugby league to get more coverage.

The radio program will be presented by Fijian-Australian comedians Joseph ‘Roq’ Rokoqo and Ratu ‘Cav’ Cavuilati, and focuses on the dominant men’s and women’s codes in the region such as rugby league and rugby union, as well as the big sporting moments of the week in netball, soccer, athletics and many more.

Joseph ‘Roq’ Rokoqo loves sport, cooking shows and current affairs and since arriving in Australia from Fiji at the age of six, he’s been a follower of the St George Illawarra Dragons and follows the Auckland Blues in Rugby Super 14. 

His love of sport inspired him to start a boxing gym where he teaches boxing and general fitness to the next generation of sporting legends.

Ratu ‘Cav’ Cavuilati is a young aspiring actor who couldn’t crack a career in NRL. 

Originally from Fiji, Cav has made the most of the opportunities presented by life down under. His hobbies include romantic walks on the beach, drinking almond lattes and watching and talking about all things sport. 

Cav is a big fan of the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and hopes one day to become an actor.

Producer Renelle Mower is a studio producer for the ABC’s popular Grandstand NRL games coverage and Can You Be More Pacific. 

She is also a passionate supporter of both the GWS Giants and the Sydney Swans and dreams of a double Sydney grand final. 

On an average weekend, you’ll find her attending, watching and/or listening to AFL, where she is often heard giving advice to the players and umpires.

Pacific nations skew very young in terms of demographics when compared to their neighbours such as Australia and New Zealand, and the show is focused on engaging young adults in their 20s and 30s across the diverse nations that make up the region.

Can You Be More Pacific is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the PacificAus Sports program. The PacificAus Sports program is the flagship program of the Sports Diplomacy 2030 strategy, and aims to build sustainable, elite sport pathways between Australia and the Pacific.

You can tune in to Can You Be More Pacific on ABC Radio Australia Thursday evenings at 6pm [PNG Time], 7pm [Solomon Islands Time], 8pm [Fiji Time] and 9pm [Samoa Time]. ABC Radio Australia can be heard on 102 FM in Samoa.

Meanwhile, Radio Australia has advised that its transmitter in Samoa is temporarily down, but the service is still available online and via satellite.

Staff at Radio Australia in Melbourne, Australia told the Samoa Observer that there were plans to install a temporary transmitter in Samoa but shipping is taking longer than usual.