King intervenes in club rugby dispute

NUKUALOFA,Tonga -- A club rugby strike in Tonga ended yesterday after King Taufaahau Tupou IV ordered the country's rugby union to end a high-level leadership tussle.

Tonga Rugby Football Union (TRFU) chairman Clive Edwards, who is also the police minister, caused an uproar when he stacked the board with his own supporters, including Police Commander Sinilau Kolokihakaufisi.

The 23-clubs on the main island of Tongatapu refused to play for the last three weeks, prompting the king last week to order the board to meet again to reconcile their problems.

Rugby union has always been something of a democratic battleground in a kingdom which is without meaningful political democracy.

The police have long struggled to control the game and eight years ago the then Police Minister, Noble Akauola, pulled all the police out of the national team -- four of the top 15 players.

The royal ordered meeting occurred here Wednesday night when Edwards arrived and announced he was resigning from TRFU.

The Tongatapu clubs voted to accept the resignation with immediate effect and the kingdoms rugby competition will finally get underway today, a month late.

Long term, the row could have a serious impact as Tonga is due to play the All Blacks later this year as well as competing in the Pacific Rim competition with Samoa, Fiji, Canada and Japan.-- Sapa-AFP