Tameifuna left out of Tonga squad despite Champions Cup triumph with Bordeaux-Bègles

Ben Tameifuna, the 33-year-old tighthead prop who helped Bordeaux-Bègles retain the Investec Champions Cup last month, has been left out of Tonga’s 29-man squad for the upcoming World Rugby Nations Cup, with head coach Tevita Tuifua naming the group for three July internationals.

Tameifuna made an impact from the bench in Bordeaux’s historic victory over Leinster in Bilbao, contributing a number of crucial turnovers as Yannick Bru’s side claimed back-to-back European titles. His omission is unexpected given he has remained a regular for the French club and recently scored a try in their Top 14 win over Toulon.

While Tameifuna misses out, his Bordeaux club-mate Adam Coleman has been included in the squad. The former Wallabies lock switched his international allegiance to Tonga in 2023 and is among the most experienced players available to Tuifua.

Tonga face Zimbabwe on July 5, Spain on July 12, and Portugal on July 19 in the Nations Cup.

“We have named a strong squad with players that are available,” Tuifua said. “It will be a good opportunity to test these players and see how they go, of course with the 2027 Rugby World Cup being our main focus.”

Tuifua added that the July and November windows will be critical for building cohesion ahead of Australia 2027. “The competition in July and November are crucial for us to use to test ourselves and hopefully we will be able to build some team cohesion and understanding,” he said.

The Nations Cup forms a central part of Tonga’s long-term preparation, with the Pacific nation aiming to develop consistency and combinations across a range of international opponents over the next 18 months.