Measles puts Tonga out of Oceania Women’s champs

Tonga have been withdrawn from the 2019 Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship with the team quarantined for measles through the 4^th of December.

A Tongan player presented with a suspected case of measles on Sunday, and the Fiji Ministry of Health in consultation with the World Health Organisation decided to quarantine the whole team for 18 days after evaluating test results.

"The risk of infection through contact was deemed too high for the Tongan players to participate in the tournament," Acting Head of Health Protection for the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr. Aalisha Sahukan said.

“There is a risk that the teams they play against, and any other people they come into contact with during the infectious period of the disease, could be exposed and develop the disease.
 
“And those who potentially develop the disease could spread it to other people in Fiji, and overseas when the national teams return home.”

Tonga had been competing with Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea for a place at the 2021 Rugby World Cup.

As both teams are in Pool A along with the Black Ferns Development XV, the result confirms the Manusina’s place in the tournament final on the 30^th of November.

Their opponents will be either Fiji (who they play on Friday at 5pm Samoan time) or Papua New Guinea (who they defeated 65-12 in Round 1).

OCEANIA RUGBY WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATED DRAW (all Samoan time):

Round 2: Friday 22 November, 2019
2:30pm Australia A v Black Ferns Development XV
5:00pm Samoa v Fiji
 
Round 3: Tuesday 26 November, 2019
2:30pm Black Ferns Development XV v Papua New Guinea
5:00pm Australia A v Samoa
 
Round 4: Saturday 30 November, 2019
2:30pm Fijiana XV (Development) v Pool B – 2^nd Highest Ranking RWC Non-Qualified Team
5:00pm Pool A – Highest Ranking RWC Non-Qualified Team v Pool B - Highest Ranking RWC Non-Qualified

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