Samoa National Rugby Sevens Team

The Samoa national rugby sevens team, referred to as Samoa Sevens or Manu Samoa 7s, competes in the annual World Rugby Sevens Series. Representing the polynesian country of Samoa, with a population of about 202,000, the team competes against some of the wealthiest countries in the world. The Samoa sevens team is overseen by the Samoa Rugby Football Union, which oversees all of rugby union in Samoa.

Samoa won the 2009–10 World Series by winning four tournaments – the Hong Kong Sevens, the USA Sevens, the Adelaide Sevens, and the Edinburgh Sevens. Samoa has played at all Rugby World Cup Sevens finals tournaments since the championship began in 1993; its best finish was third place in 1997 and again in 2007.

Samoa has won four Oceania Sevens titles since the first competition in 2008. They have also won all four gold medals at the Pacific Games Sevens and Pacific Mini Games Sevens between 2007 and 2013, defeating in the final on each occasion.

History

The first Samoan sevens team was selected in November 1978 to play at the invitation Hong Kong Sevens under the leadership of former SRU representative captain, Tuatagaloa Keli Tuatagaloa. The team included Rev-Dr Faitala Talapusi as captain, Lemalu Roy Slade (Brisbane) as vice-captain, Rev. Paul Gray (Melbourne), Peter Schmidt, Feausiga Sililoto, Andy Leavasa (USA), Salafuti Patu and others. Samoa won the 1993 Hong Kong Sevens.

Tournament history

Summer Olympics

In qualifying rounds for the 2016 Olympics, Samoa finished in third place at the 2015 Oceania Sevens Championship, meaning they didn't qualify directly for the Olympics as Oceania's representative. They instead went to the 2016 inter-continental final qualifying tournament, where they lost to Spain 12–19 in the final and failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

Rugby World Cup Sevens

At the 1993 Rugby World Cup, Samoa player Gordon Langkilde was arrested at the team hotel and charged with assault and battery after allegedly punching Welsh players after their match, resulting in broken facial bones to Welsh player Tom Williams, who had scored the winning try. Langkilde pled guilty to misdemeanor charges, paid a fine, and was suspended from rugby for one year.

Commonwealth Games

World Rugby Sevens Series

While long a solidly competitive side, Samoa emerged as contenders in the 2006-07 Sevens World Series, finishing third overall while winning two events – the Wellington Sevens and Hong Kong Sevens. The team reached the final four times in a row, playing against series favourite Fiji.

2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series

Samoa won the 2009–10 Series in large part due to 2010 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Mikaele Pesamino who led all players with 56 tries scored. Samoa were also helped by the efforts of half-back Lolo Lui, another nominee for 2010 Sevens Player of the Year, who scored 264 points. Samoa's third star that season was forward Alafoti Faosiliva, who scored 29 tries and was also a Sevens Player of the Year nominee.

The itinerary for the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series:

Overall Standings

Sevens Series tournament Cup wins

In July 1997, the Government of Samoa changed the country's name from ''Western Samoa'' to ''Samoa''.

Team

Current squad

Former squads

Squad to 2015 Pacific Games:
* Fa’alemiga Selesele
*Tila Mealoi
*Tunufai Tunufai
*Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa
*Alefosio Tapili
*Alex Samoa
*Tomasi Alosio
*Belgium Tuatagaloa
*Alamanda Motuga
*Ed Fidow
*Savelio Ropati
* Samoa Toloa

Notable former players

Two of the highest points and try scorers in series history, Uale Mai and Mikaele Pesamino, played for Samoa. Pesamino was also named the 2010 IRB International Sevens Player of the Year, an honour which Uale Mai, a former team captain and one of the most capped players in the sport, had won in 2006. Captain Lolo Lui and teammate Alafoti Fa'osiliva had also been nominated.

Player records

The following table shows Samoa's statistical career leaders in the World Rugby Sevens Series. Players in bold are still active. Mikaele Pesamino is Samoa's top try scorer in the World Rugby Sevens Series. He was the overall top try score in both the 2006–07 (43 tries) and the 2009–10 (56 tries) seasons.

Coaches

The current coach is Brian Lima, former player of the Samoa national rugby sevens team.

Past coaches include:
* Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa coached the 1993 Hong Kong Sevens winning team.
* Fuimaono Titimaea "Dicky" Tafua coached the team on the 2005-2006 IRB Sevens Circuit where they qualified to two finals ( the London Sevens, where they lost to South Africa, and the Paris Sevens where they lost to Fiji). Fuimaono resigned from coaching in 2007 to his new post as Secretary to Samoa's Head of State, Tupua Tamasese Tufuga Efi.
* Damian McGrath won a Cup in Paris was sacked by the SRU controversially.
* Galumalemana Rudolph Moors took over as coach, but after a disappointing team performance in the 2008–09 Series he was temporarily replaced by Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa for the final two legs of the series.
* Stephen Betham was named as Moors' successor in 2009.

Other statistics

See also

* Samoa national rugby union team
* Rugby union in Samoa

References

External links

Official Samoa Rugby Union website

Samoa Sevens on facebook

Manu Samoa Supporters Website

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