Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 24 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Wednesday morning 24 January 2024.

Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent.

In rugby union: The hot topic around Kava circles in Fiji last night is, a leak from inside Rugby House that the Fiji Rugby Union interim Board has asked the popular Head Coach of the Fijian Drua, Mick Byrne to apply for the same role of the Flying Fijians.

You gotta question their motives – why rush this appointment when they can leave it to a Board appointed by the Unions?

Are they doing this in the hope that Byrne’s popularity with the fans will rub off on them?

Only time will tell.

In rugby league: Wests Tigers have released David Nofoaluma from the final two years of his contract. The out-of-favour wing accepted the Club’s offer to buy out his contract for A$300,000.

The Tigers then released a statement which said the parties had agreed to terminate the contract by mutual consent, effective immediately.

At only 30 years old, Nofoaluma still has a few more years to play.

Will he end up back in Melbourne?

In football: The President of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea declared yesterday a public holiday and offered their national soccer team a bonus of two million euro for their 4-0 win over the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast.

This after Equatorial Guinea, with a population of only 1.6-million people and with a team comprised mainly of players from the lower leagues in Spain, upset the Ivorians 4-0 on Monday in the heaviest defeat suffered by a AFCON host nation, and one of the biggest shocks in AFCON finals history.

Before the game, the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea had offered the players a bonus of 50,000 euro per goal as an incentive.

Meanwhile, aided by a controversial penalty, the Socceroos have secured top spot in their Asian Cup pool with a 1-1 draw against an impressive Uzbekistan.

In SportsBiz: Since they can’t beat Man City on the pitch, Man U has lured a key executive across town to Old Trafford: Omar Berrada is stepping down as Chief Football Operations Officer of City Football Group in order to become CEO of Man U.

Berrada has worked for Manchester City in various capacities since 2011, and is widely credited with aiding the Club’s recent success both on and off the field.

In combat sports: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has a new job.

On Tuesday, TKO Group Holdings, Inc., the company that owns WWE and UFC, announced that the WWE legend has joined its Board of directors.

Additionally, Johnson has been granted full ownership of "The Rock" trademark, which was previously owned by WWE.

Finally in Tennis: Give it up for Novak Djokovic!

The Serb tennis great is just two wins from making history as the only player to collect 25 Grand Slam singles titles.

His quarter final win at the Australian Open last night was his 33rd consecutive victory in Melbourne, a startling run stretching back to 2018.

Djokovic, who has never failed to win the Australian Open once he reaches the semi-finals, is level with Margaret Court on 24 majors.

In men’s tennis he is two clear of the injured Rafael Nadal and four ahead of the retired Roger Federer.

And that’s a wrap!

For TeivovoSports.com I’m Culden Kamea – please hit the like and subscribe buttons below if you want to receive more Pasifika sports highlights on Breakfast Bites.

Mahalo, Kakite and tank you all too mas for all your love and support.

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