Nickname(s) Manu Appearances 6 (First in 1993) | Captain(s) Afa Aiono Coach Gordon Tietjens Union Samoa Rugby Union | |
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Best result 3rd place, 1997, 2009 champions 2010 | ||
The Samoa national rugby sevens team, referred to as the Samoa Sevens or Manu Samoa 7s, represents Samoa internationally in rugby sevens. The team competes in the annual World Rugby Sevens Series, and won the 2009–10 World Series following a 15-12 victory against England in the semi-finals at the 2010 Edinburgh Sevens. Samoa Sevens defeated Australia in the final and were crowned winners of the 2010 Edinburgh Sevens. The historic victory followed three consecutive tournament wins in the world series, the Hong Kong Sevens, the USA Sevens and the Adelaide Sevens.
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Representing the tiny Polynesian country of Samoa with a population of about 180,000 the Samoa Sevens team competes against some of the wealthiest countries in the world.
Samoa has played at all Rugby World Cup Sevens finals tournaments since the championship began in 1993, and won the third-place final in 1997 and 2007. The team has won four Oceania Sevens titles since the first competition in 2008. Samoa also won all four gold medals at the Pacific Games Sevens and Pacific Mini Games Sevens between 2007 and 2013, defeating Fiji in the final on each occasion.
Rugby union in Samoa is governed by the Samoa Rugby Football Union (SRU) which oversees the Samoa Sevens team and the 15-player Manu Samoa national team.
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.
In 2007, the team won both the Wellington Sevens and Hong Kong Sevens. Another past victory was the Hong Kong Sevens in 1993. In 2009, the team made the finals in the Dubai Sevens but lost to the New Zealand team.
While long a solidly competitive side, the Samoa Sevens emerged as true world contenders in the 2006-07 Sevens World Series, finishing third overall while winning two events. This new team has reached the final four times in a row, playing against series favourite Fiji.
Coaches
The current coach is Sir Gordon Tietjens. Past coaches have included Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa who coached the 1993 Hong Kong Sevens winning team. Other notable coaches who have led Samoa to sevens prominence were head coach Fuimaono Titimaea "Dicky" Tafua and his assistant Galumalemana Rudolph Moors. In the 2005 - 2006 IRB Sevens Circuit they managed to qualify to two finals (London and Paris) but failed to win any. The Samoa Sevens lost to South Africa in London and island rivals Fiji at Paris.
Fuimaono resigned from coaching in 2007 to his new post as Secretary to Samoa's Head of State, Tupua Tamasese Tufuga Efi. He would later return to coaching in 2009 as head coach of the 15s national team. Galumalemana took over as coach and after a disappointing team performance in the 2008–09 series was temporarily replaced by Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa for the final two legs of the series. Stephen Betham was named as Galumalemana successor in 2009.
2009-10 IRB Sevens World Series
The itinerary for the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series;
Overall Standings
Win summaries
In July 1997, the Government of Samoa amended its constitution to change the country's name from Western Samoa to Samoa.
Current squad
Squad to 2015 Pacific Games:
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.