New Zealand Deploying Rugby Diplomacy In Scrum With China

New Zealand is deploying "rugby diplomacy" in the southern Pacific "with plans to use the sport to unlock development in the region and ward off growing Chinese influence," according to Neil Connor of the London TELEGRAPH. Wellington is "seeking to establish a joint team from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga that would join the Super Rugby club competition," which is contested by 15 teams from southern hemisphere nations and Japan. The involvement of a new Pacific Islands team -- called Pacific Force -- "is being seen as a potential catalyst for development in the region" at a time when China is seeking to "gain a foothold through massive investment." New Zealand media outlet Newshub reported, "Part of the plan is that rugby can be a diplomatic force to counter China's influence in the Pacific. The idea is that rugby will help keep hearts and minds away from China, which is saturating the region with money to obtain influence" (TELEGRAPH, 5/15).