Sacked Tonga coach claims he wasn't paid Featured
Andy Katoa with the Tongan team at the Oceania Sevens. Photo: RNZI / Vinnie Wylie
2 April, 2016. The sacked Tonga sevens coach Andy Katoa says he has not been paid at all during his 18 months at the helm.
Katoa led Tonga to a runners-up finish behind Australia at November's Oceania Sevens in Auckland.
That qualified them for June's final Olympic repechage tournament, while next week the Kingdom will compete in Hong Kong for a permanent berth on next season's World Series.
Tonga men's sevens coach Andy Katoa and his team debrief after losing the Oceania Championship final to Australia.
They will head to that event with a new coaching team of Siaosi Atiola and Taholo Anitoni and an almost completely new squad from the one that went to the Oceania tournament.
"Just from speaking with the TRU, they've decided to move in a different direction and that's totally fine. I can't go into it any further and right now I just wish everybody the best," said Katoa.
"I want people to continue to support Tonga Rugby - these kids have worked hard and made some tremendous sacrifices in hard hard situations to be where they are right now."
"The team that they're taking to Hong Kong, I think there's only two of those guys from my original team from New Zealand, that we lost in the final against Australia, but I think they've managed to put a real good team together and I really really wish the the best to be honest with you, absolutely."
Andy Katoa was contracted through 2016 but said he was informed by interim chair Fe'ao Vunipola two weeks ago that he was out of a job.
"It's been tough the last couple of days and so but we have a new chairman, we have new members of the board and it was their call. They were selected to make decisions and they're making decisions and I'm wishing everybody all the best. I'd rather it be me but I think what we have in store here - the team they're taking to Hong Kong - I wish them all the best and I hope they do well."
Tonga Rugby staff have not been paid since World Rugby froze funding at the start of the year but Andy Katoa confirmed he was yet to receive any wages at all from the TRU, since being appointed in October 2014.
The Tonga Rugby Union will elected a new permanent leadership at their annual general meeting next month and Katoa said he would not rule out returning to the sevens role.
RNZ
9 comments
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Kuo mo'oni e lau ia 'a Finau, ko e kuonga faka'osi eni ia pea kuo 'alu fakaholomui e me'a kotoa. Kinautolu na'e lelemu'a tenau lele mui, kinautolu na'e 'ohomu'a tenau 'ohomui, takimu'a tenau takimui. Koia ai Kainga, tau tu'u pe 'o mamata ki he faliunga 'o taimi 'e faifai pea tau hela'ia he lea he ta ku tau tofanga kitautolu hotau tauteau meia Sihova ....
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Another shameful performance of Tonga 7's... nearly 40 years of participation alongside Fiji, Samoa etc, now Fiji and Samoa are competing for the Championship while Tonga is trying to prove they're good enough to participate... at the end... NOGOODER!!
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Na'e ha koaa e ola e timi 7s 'a Tuma?
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Another poor performing coach. 18 months and still in Repecharge mode!!! second only in Oceania tournament, 'oku 'ikai kau he lau..... Amazing that this coach was unpaid since 2014! World Rugby paid staff since that time and he is now crying foul in 2016?? Was that the time of Taione and Kitekei'aho in the helm? This piece should have tried to respond to the headline as to why he was unpaid. Tuma has been the form coach for Tonga's local club scenes for the last 10 years. Katoa has coached for 2 years now with POOR RESULTS!! Talu ene e faiako he ta'u 'e 2 'oku kei lele holo pe 'a Tonga he Repecharge. not even in the world rugby circuit in TWO years. Poor performers should not be given another chance . that's how things should roll.
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'Oku ikai na'eke akapulu lelei ko e pea ke pehe teke sai he faiako, it will help, but not necessary. Kuo fili mai pe e Tuma ene kaupone, sai pe pone he taufakatonga, 7 aside have differnet set of skills. Tuma was involved with others in one of the coaching teams in past Ikale Tahi, it was the worst result in the history of Ikale as far as I can remember.
I will be watching the Hongkong 7, good luck. -
Koe me'a eni 'oku ui koe drip-down effect, 'alu hifo pe fakapone mei 'olunga mei he PM, 'alu hifo he kau minista, kau CEO, 'alu hifo he sipoti Pacific games pea ko eni kuo a'u hifo ki he 'akapulu. Pea kuo tau pahia 'ia Tuma, kuo hange eni ia na'e tau ia he AB pe Wallabies pea ma'u ha'ane fu'u coaching certificate mei muli, hono mono takai holo. Na'e kau e coaching team 'a Willie O he 'Ikale Tahi pea koe toki taimi ma'ulalo taha ia e ola e 'akapulu fakafonua 'a Tonga ni. Koe tuku a Katoa ki tu'a 'oku kakato hono sino kae 'oatu e fengataliaki ke toe foki e 7s 'o fengataliaki tatau mo ia. Pea 'oku 'ikai 'uhinga e 'akapulu ia e ongo foha 'o Fe'ao 'i Pilitania ke ha'u ai ia fiepoto mo ta'etoka'i he TRU. hoooiii, toe vili e siakale ki mui .
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Tonu ke sio e Pule'anga koeni ki honau taimi pea fakahoa ki ha toe Pule'anga ki mu'a, oku fuu lahi 'a e longoa'a 'i he issue kehekehe 'aupito pea 'oku mate pe ia ki he kau Taki 'o e Pule'anga. 'Oku fe'unga ange 'a e longoa'a 'a e ngaahi Pule'anga ki muli he 'oku lahi 'enau koloa ku fai ai e tau power, koeni ia ko e tau power ia pe ko hai 'oku fa'o vave tahaa mo 'aonga vave taha ki hono famili mo e maheni ... siosio kovi kiai Oua e Fiu ee ha ha ha
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Ha kuo tau pehe ai Tonga... koe ki'i motu'a faiako 'ena kuo kamata ke ma'u 'ene kii kakai ke fai e va'inga kuo to ia kae hu hake a Tuma ia o fakalele... oku tau kei longoa'a ko'eni koe fakapone.. e lava nai???? fakamalo ki he faiako ko'eni he kei fua fatongia he funga 'oe tenga'i koaa.. oku 'iai 'ene totonu ke 'eke ki he komiti 'a e ngaue kuo ne fai he ta'u kuo maliu atu.. Ko e me'a pe 'ena 'e taha 'e ikai ai ke toe kake 'a e maa'imoa koe 'ai pone ..kuo tau pehe e kehe a Fe'ao kae ta ko'ene to pe ki loto o fai e me'a tatau pe ... na'e tu'uaki e lakanga pe na'e review e ngaue 'a e faiako ni pe 'ikai???
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Koe meimei sai e tautoko 7 pea liliu e coach and team. Tau toki sio i Hongkong, ko e taufale'i lahi a S Tuma