Samoa national rugby union team
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| Samoa | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Union | Samoa Rugby Football Union | |||||||||||||||||
| Coach |  Michael Jones |
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| Captain | Semo Sititi | |||||||||||||||||
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| First international | ||||||||||||||||||
| Samoa 0 - 6 Fiji (18 August 1924) |
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| Largest win | ||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea 3 - 74 Samoa (1993) |
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| Worst defeat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Australia 73 -3 Samoa (1994) |
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| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Appearances | 4 (First in 1991) | |||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Quarter Finals, 1991, 1995 | |||||||||||||||||
The national rugby union team of Samoa is called Manu Samoa (the name of a famous Samoan chief some 10 generations ago). They perform a traditional Samoan dance called the siva tau before each game. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga.
They have recently been bankrolled by millionaire Sir Michael Fay, one of New Zealand's wealthiest men.
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[edit] History
The Marist Brothers brought the game to Western Samoa in 1920 and The Western Samoa Rugby Football Union was formed in 1924.
On August 18, 1924 Western Samoa played its first international against Fiji in the capital Apia, the visitors winning 6-0. The match was played at 7am to allow the Samoans time to get to work afterwards and was played on a pitch with a large tree on the halfway line. The return match was won 9-3 by Samoa to draw the series.
In 1954 Western Samoan visited both Pacific Island neighbours Fiji and Tonga but waited a further 20 years before a tour of New Zealand took place. The Samoans won one of eight matches on that tour.
The traditional tri-series between Tonga, Fiji and Western Samoa was established in 1982 with Western Samoa winning the first tournament. Wales visited Western Samoa and won the test 32-16 at Apia. The tour led to a return visit to Wales which brought Western Samoa out of International limbo, although Western Samoa were not invited to the first Rugby World Cup in 1987.
The following year a 14-match tour of Europe took place before a World Cup elimination series in Tokyo, which gave Western Samoa a place in the 1991 Rugby World Cup in Britain. They made a huge impact. After sweeping aside Wales 16-13 in Cardiff and defeating Argentina 35-12, and narrowly losing 3-9 to eventual champions Australia in their pool match, Western Samoa, a country with a population of 160,000, found itself in the quarterfinals against Scotland at Murrayfield. The Scots, however won comfortably, 28-6, but the Samoans were clearly the personality team of the tournament.
Over the next two years the side had a number of notable wins. The most outstanding achievement were in Sevens where it won the 1993 Hong Kong and 1992 Middlesex Sevens.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa proved that the team belonged in top company. They again reached the quarterfinals after wins over Argentina and Italy, but were beaten 42-14 by the eventual winners South Africa. After the Cup, Manu Samoa made a 13-match tour of England and Scotland, drawing 15-15 with the Scots and going down 9-27 to England.
With the advent of professional rugby in 1995 it was vital for Manu Samoa to developed a new administrative structure. This was made possible with Fay Richwhite and the Western Samoan Rugby Union joining forces to form Manu Samoa Rugby Limited, which now manages business for the team. Samoa emerged from the 1999 Rugby World Cup with honour intact after another shock 38-31 victory over host nation Wales in the pool stages. They again lost out to Scotland in the quarter final play-off.
Manu Samoa qualified for the 2003 Rugby World Cup with a 17-16 defeat by Fiji, Earl Va’a missing an injury-time penalty. They recovered to beat Tonga both home and away and avenged that Fijian defeat with a 22-12 win in Nadi. They ultimately had to settle for second place in the round robin, behind Fiji on points difference, and a place in the tougher of the two Rugby World Cup 2003 pools alongside automatic qualifiers England and South Africa. In one of the games of the tournament they led eventual champions England for most of the game before losing 22-35.
[edit] The New Zealand Connection
Western Samoa's triumph in the 1991 Rugby World Cup was inspired by their coach Bryan Williams who had been the first Samoan-born player to transfer his allegiance to the All Blacks. Since Williams many Samoans have pursued their rugby careers in New Zealand provincial rugby and the best of these have been snapped up by the All Blacks. However, many of these players have been educated in New Zealand from an early age, developing their rugby skills within the very challenging New Zealand secondary schools competition. Malili Muliaina, Jerry Collins, Isaia Toeava and Casey Laulala are just four of the many Samoan-born players who have chosen to represent New Zealand, after having been educated there.
In recent times New Zealanders of Samoan descent have been key members of the All Blacks squad, including past New Zealand captain Tana Umaga. In some Test matches on their 2005 Grand Slam tour of the Home Nations New Zealand fielded a side packed with players of Samoan descent. New Zealand born players with Samoan parentage have also played for Samoa, such as Earl Va'a, Pat Lam and Lome Fa'atau.
The rugby relationship that exists between New Zealand and Samoa is undoubtedly a complex one. Close ties exist between the two countries, these bonds first being formed with the start of mass Polynesian migration to New Zealand in the latter half of the twentieth century. Naturally, many players eligible for Samoa have chosen to play for the All Blacks, recognising the obvious potential for financial and sporting rewards. Also, unfortunately, because of current international eligibilty laws, many Samoans who commit themselves to playing for the All Blacks find that they are unable to play for the smaller nation when their dreams of pulling on the black shirt are unrealised.
Under their new coach, the All Blacks legend Michael Niko Jones (himself of Samoan descent and a Samoan international) they are working hard to create a side that will compete effectively in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
[edit] Squad
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The following players that were not considered due to injury:
- Justin Vaa
- Sailosi Tagicagibau
- David Lemi
- Roger Warren
- Elvis Seveali'i
- Lolenese Talapusi
- Leo Lafaialii
- Paul Tupai
- Eliota Sapolu
- Henry Tuilagi
- Jonathan Meredith
- Notise Tauafao
- Terry Fanolua
[edit] Notable players
- Lome Fa'atau
- Dominic Feau'nati
- Pat Lam
- Trevor Leota
- Brian Lima
- Apollo Perelini
- Semo Sititi
- Sailosi Tagicakibau
- Va'aiga Tuigamala
- Freddie Tuilagi
- Earl Va'a
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website of Manu Samoa
- Samoan rugby union news from Planet Rugby
- Pacific Islanders Rugby Team Supporters Site
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| Rugby Union in: | Fiji • Samoa • Tonga |
| Federations: | Fiji Rugby Union • Samoa Rugby Football Union • Tonga Rugby Football Union • Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance |
| National teams: | Fiji • Fiji Sevens • Samoa • Samoa Sevens • Tonga • Tonga Sevens • Pacific Islanders |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Rugby World Cup Sevens • Pacific Tri-Nations • IRB Sevens World Series • Pacific Rugby Cup • Pacific Nations Cup |
| Domestic Competitions: | Colonial Cup • Sanyo Cup • National Provincial Championship • Datec Cup Provincial Championship |
| Pacific Rugby Cup teams: | Fiji Warriors • Fiji Barbarians • Upolu Samoa • Savaii Samoa • Tau'uta Reds • Tautahi Gold |
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