It's been more than 20 years, but representative rugby league is back in New Caledonia - ABC Pacific - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

While the focus of rugby league development in the Pacific is largely on Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and of course Papua New Guinea, some of the minnows are keen to make an impact.

Vanuatu for example staged an international match on home soil for the first time in ten years back in June, and now the game has returned to New Caledonia for the first time in more than 20 years. 

It was a very inexperienced group of under 17s flying the the Pacifique Treize, or Pacific Thirteen banner,  who lined up against the touring Queensland Irish under 17s. 

And although the outcome of the matches was not pretty, assistant coach and former France under 21 player, Laurent Garnier,  says staging any sort of match on French soil is a significant step forward for the Pacifique Treize initiative. 

Pacifique Treize U17s bringing representative rugby league to New Caledonia for the first time in two decades.(Pacifique Treize Facebook)