WASHINGTON - Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro today met the United States Naval Academy (USNA) Men's and Women's Rugby Team, helping to kick off the U.S. Rugby Diplomacy initiative.
Rugby Diplomacy was announced as part of President Biden's Pacific Island Forum Summit held last fall where midshipmen from the USNA Rugby team travel to the Pacific Islands beginning in May for rugby exhibition matches and youth empowerment programming.
"Sports have a unique power to bring people together, and we are committed to supporting the development of sports in the Pacific, particularly through the U.S.-Pacific Partnership through which we seek to expand opportunities for all our peoples," said Secretary Del Toro, a 1983 Naval Academy graduate. "Expanding sports ties between our countries and peoples will lead to greater understanding of one another's societies and build support for areas like health and youth development."
At the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit meeting at the White House on Sept. 25, 2023, President Biden renewed our commitment to enhancing our partnership with Pacific Island nations to achieve our shared vision for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, where individuals can reach their potential, the environment can thrive, and democracy can flourish.
The United States also looks forward to joining Pacific Island delegations for the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) in Hawaii, June 6-16, 2024. The theme, "Ho'oulu Lāhui: Regenerating Oceania," will honor the traditions that FestPAC perpetuates with an eye toward the future.
Pacific Islanders have made an impact in many facets of U.S. culture, particularly through American football, where many athletes have made their mark, most notably at present NFL star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
"The Pacific Islands region is a vital part of the Indo-Pacific. Our engagement with Pacific Island nations offers opportunities to address shared challenges, from the climate crisis to an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Our shared history, democratic values, and geography link the Pacific's future to our own: our shared prosperity and security depend on the Pacific region remaining free and open," added Secretary Del Toro.
To that end, we have elevated broader and deeper engagement with the Pacific Islands as a key priority of our naval diplomacy and foreign policy. The Pacific Partnership Strategy both reflects and advances that commitment and is aligned with the goals of the Pacific Island Forum's 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
