Samoa national rugby league team

Samoa
Nickname Toa Samoa
Governing body Samoan Rugby League
Region Oceania
Head coach Steve Price
Captain Tony Puletua
Home stadium National Stadium
RLIF ranking 10th
Colours
First international
 Western Samoa 34-12  Tokelau
(Rarotonga, Cook Islands; 1986)
Biggest win
 New Caledonia 0 - 76 Samoa 
(Apia, Samoa; 20 October 2004)
Biggest defeat
 Australia 66 - 10 Samoa 
(Watford, England; 11 November 2000)
World Cup
Appearances 3 (first time in 1995)
Best result Quarter-finals 2000

The Samoa rugby league team represents Samoa in rugby league football and has been participating in international competition since 1986. From 1986 to 1997 this team was known as the Western Samoa rugby league team. The team has recently been nicknamed Toa Samoa.

Contents

History

Western Samoa has participated in the Pacific Cup (1986–), World Sevens (1994, 1995, 2003), Super League World Nines (1996, 1997), World Cup (since 1995) and Pacific Rim (2004) competitions. Since 1998 the team has been known as Samoa.

Early years

Western Samoa made their debut in the 1986 Pacific Cup.

Suani and Lyndsay Stowers operated Samoa Rugby League out of their North Shore home in Auckland and from the Richmond Rugby League Club house where Lyndsay ran the canteen. This resilient couple were known to have put a mortgage on their home to assist funding to ensure that 30 men represented Samoa in Tonga for the 1990 Pacific Cup. This commitment lead to a historical win over the Maori team for the first time and won the 1990 Pacific Cup. Coached by the Richmond Bulldogs Head Coach, Steve Kaiser, the Western Samoan team put Samoan rugby league on the map.

Samoa then won the 1992 Pacific Cup over Tonga in an action filled thriller that went into 2 overtimes and sent the NZ Rugby League and Polynesian rugby league public into a frenzy. The 1992 Tournament showcased all of NZ Rugby league talent and Australian Rugby league scouts were already booked to witness the 1994 Pacific Cup held in Fiji.

In 1993 Western Samoa were invited to the International Coca-Cola Sevens in Sydney. With Auckland based Samoan players such as Mark Elia, Tony Tuimavave, Tony Tatupu, Faausu Afoa and Des Maea followed by a group of up and coming players such as Matthew TuiSamoa, Lionel Perera, Aleki Maea, Paki Tuimavave, Joe Vagana, Sefo Fuimaono and Peter Lima, the team beat the Canberra Raiders and the Great Brittan International team. Coached by the Richmond Bulldogs' Head Coach Steve Kaiser, this team gave Samoa the status to create the strong foundation Western Samoa Rugby League needed to move forward. Below this strong foundation however was the strength and commitment of two people- Suani and Lyndsay Stowers, it must be noted and acknowledged that these two people held together the concept of Samoa Rugby League and without their dream, Samoa RL will not be where it is today.

Steve Kaiser in his 6th year as the Samoan Coach had an array of NZ based quality players for the 1994 Pacific Cup with the likes of Se'e Solomona, Tony Tatupu, the Tuimavave brothers Paki and Tony plus the loyal players of Mike Setefano, Matthew TuiSamoa, Alex Tupou and Mark Faumuina. Henry Suluvale and Rudy David led the contingent of first class players from Canterbury however this arsenal were well contained by the Tongan stars Jim Dymmic, John Hopoate and Albert Fulivae.

Late 1990s

The 1995 Samoan team had the benefit of ex-All Blacks John Schuster and Va'aiga Tuigamala in their backline. When rugby union went professional players such as Apollo Perelini and Fereti Tuilagi left rugby league to return to the 15-man game.

Samoa lost the Pacific Cup in 1996.

The 1998 Pacific Cup team saw a new and old talent. Joe Raymond, one of the first Samoan Rugby League Rep coaches returned after coaching Tonga and the NZ Maori, the late Eddie Poching managed the team and the introduction of Francis Meli to Samoan Rugby League and Junior Papalii a loyal American Samoan Representative. Pati Tuimavave from the 1992 squad and Matthew TuiSamoa, the only survivor from 1990 Pacific Cup champion team returned. Samoa battled Tonga for the 1998 Pacific Cup again at Carlaw park and again Samoa regained the Pacific Champions Title.

2000s

The Pacific Cup was taken to Australia's Gold Coast in 2000 where Auckland coach John Ackland took over the reins. Ackland added another dimension to Samoa Rugby League and introduced rising stars, Wayne McDade and Itikeri Sapau-Citran (Schmidt), Tino Brown, Johnny Baker, Louie Talamavoa and bought Matthew TuiSamoa back into the Pacific Cup arena.

2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign

Samoa played in the Pacific Pool of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers. They beat the Cook Islands and Fiji, but lost to Tonga. On a points difference, Samoa came in third and had to play USA in the Repecharge Semi Final. Samoa won this match 42-10 and then played Lebanon on 14 November 2007 in the Repecharge Final to see who would take the 10th and final World Cup place. Samoa came out eventual winners of the 10th and final 2008 Rugby League World Cup place beating Lebanon 38-16[1] at the Chris Moyles Stadium, Featherstone.

2011 Squad

2011 Samoa squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach


Legend:
  • (c) Captain
  • (vc) Vice captain

Updated: 8 October 2011
Source(s): 2011 Test Squads [2]

Notable Players & Coaches

International results

Top 27 Rankings as of November 2011[3]
Rank Change Team Points
1  Australia 1,406.59
2  New Zealand 991.56
3  England 799.47
4  Papua New Guinea 260.49
5  France 246.08
6 1  Wales 245.12
7  Fiji 145.35
8 2  Samoa 123.19
9  Tonga 82.07
10  Scotland 75.39
11 2  United States 59.67
12 1  Ireland 72.81
13 2  Italy 38.55
14  Lebanon 38.42
15 1  Serbia 41.48
16 4  Cook Islands 62.11
17 2  Russia 28.44
18  Norway 32.04
19 2  Germany 34.52
20  Malta 26.46
21  Canada 21.91
22 4  South Africa 11.85
23 2  Jamaica 13.78
24 2  Latvia 19.55
25  Ukraine 19.12
26  Czech Republic 14.27
27  Sweden 03.90
 Denmark Unranked
 Hungary
 India
 Indonesia
 Japan
 Saudi Arabia
 Morocco
 Netherlands
 Pakistan
 Philippines
 Singapore

Western Samoa

New Zealand Māori 23 - 6 Western Samoa (1986)

Super League World Nines results

Junior results

Junior Under 18's Squad 1st Xlll

See also

References

External links