Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula and Welcome to Season 08 Episode 63 of Breakfast Bites, by TeivovoSports.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Thursday morning 07 March 2024. Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian in the middle of the Blue Continent. In rugby union: Fiji defeated Junior Manu Samoa 31–17, to claim the inaugural Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland yesterday. The young Fijians combined finesse and firepower in a dominant performance and their ability to stay composed under pressure was the difference in the end. The final was a brilliant display of young Pasifika talent, showing that the future of rugby in the Islands is very bright. In football: British Police allege Matilda’s Captain Sam Kerr called an officer a “stupid white bastard” in her taxi run-in that has her facing a trial next year. The Sun is reporting that Kerr made the comment to one of two officers after being sick following a night out amid a dispute over her taxi fare at Twickenham in south west London, in January 2023 but Kerr only faced a London court this week. The Matildas Captain, who is part Indian and English, denies the allegation. In SportsBiz: During 2023, the NFL teams’ total number of posts on social media platforms - X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube impressions, and engagements were tracked and then ranked based on overall value. The report notes that the NFL’s overall social media value is worth US$1.1Billion and the social media value of the Top 5 NFL teams are:· Eagles: US$52.6M· Cowboys: US$40.7M· 49ers: US$39.9· Chiefs: US$38M· Steelers: US$32.3MIn rugby league: The 2024 NRL season is off to a flying start with the four teams in Las Vegas putting on a show for fans old and new. No team is ever perfect in March, but the overall quality on display far exceeded that of typical Round 1 games as the Roosters and Sea Eagles broke patterns of previous seasons to hit the ground running The Roosters are well known as slow starters, up against 2023 grand finalists Brisbane, expected to be one of the best teams in the NRL this year, the Tricolours played out of their skin in Vegas. Did you know, Manly had lost nine season-openers in a row before their 36-24 victory over the Rabbitohs in Sin City? In Combat sports: ON THIS DAY in 1964, less than two weeks after Cassius Marcellus Clay claimed the World Heavyweight boxing title from Sonny Liston, he revealed his new name, Muhammad Ali, along with his conversion to the Nation of Islam. The new champion said, adopting the new name allowed him to be “freed from the identity given to my family by slave masters.” It signaled a refusal to conform to American societal expectations of the time - one that would ultimately define his career and legacy. Ali ultimately refused induction into the US military, upon being selected three years later, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to US participation in the Vietnam War. Ali’s refusal to be drafted became a high-profile legal case, rising to the US Supreme Court, where his conviction was ultimately overturned. During this extended saga lasting nearly four years, Ali did not fight as he was denied a boxing license, essentially robbing him of the athletic prime of his mid to late 20s. But national sentiment steadily turned against American involvement in Vietnam and Muhammad Ali's standing as an influential cultural force in America was cemented in the pages of history. Rest in Peace Champ. 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. #TEIVOVORugby #TEIVOVODigital #TeivovoRugby #TeivovoDigital #rugby #rugby7s #FijiRugby #rugbyunion #rugbyleague #Raka #team #rugbytraining #sports #FRU #Fiji