Tongan

Not far from the venue was a street parade, with dancers representing the region, including Torres Strait islanders, Tongans and Samoans.

Now he was labeling them for community members who might speak English, Hawaiian, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Tongan or Samoan.

Kilifi, of Samoan and Tongan descent, said he comes from a rugby family and he grew up in the game.

One supervisor also reportedly referred to him as being Tongan; Sauvao took the comment as an affront given the bitter early history of war and enslavement between Samoa and Tonga.

Football has long been a source of pride across Polynesian communities including Samoans to Tongans.