Tahiti played their first full match on 21 September 1952 when they recorded a 2–2 draw at home against New Zealand. Their first competitive match came almost 11 years later when they entered the South Pacific Games for the first time in 1963. Finishing third, Tahiti set a new record winning margin for the national team as they defeated the Solomon Islands 18–0. This was bettered at the 1971 Games when Tahiti recorded a 30–0 win over the Cook Islands.