George Tupou V July 2008, a "Taumafa Kava" (Royal Kava Ring ceremony) was held on Malaʻe Pangai, the open space to the east of the Royal Palace. During the ceremony, Tupou V sat on a pile of handwoven "pandanus" mats in an open pavilion facing the sea, while more than 200 Tongan nobles and chiefs dressed in woven skirts and sea shells circled him. He wore the traditional Tongan "ta'ovala" (woven mat skirt) and a garland of flowers. During this ceremony, Tupou V was formally recognised as the "Tuʻi Kanokupolu", and the rightful descendent of King George Tupou I, who united Tonga in
Taniela Tupou (rugby union) Tupou well before he emerged on television with his three-try effort, but on 12 September 2014 Tupou was officially named in the Queensland Reds squad for the 2015 season. Tupou played his first game for the Brothers Old Boys club in 2015, in a trial match alongside his 25-year-old brother Criff Tupou. After completing the full 2015 season in Queensland Premier Rugby with Brothers, he joined Queensland Country to play in the National Rugby Championship. After playing for Queensland Under-20 in 2016, he made his debut for the Reds in 2016. Tupou toured as a development player in the Australian