Samoa national rugby union team
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Manu Samoa | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Southern cross | |||||||||||||||||||
| Union | Samoa Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach | Steve Jackson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Chris Vui | |||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Brian Lima (64) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Tusi Pisi (219) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Top try scorer | Brian Lima (29) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | Apia Park | |||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| World Rugby ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | 16 (as of 21 May 2018) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Highest | 7 (2013) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest | 17 (2018) | |||||||||||||||||||
| First international | ||||||||||||||||||||
Samoa 0–6 Fiji (Apia, Samoa; 18 August 1924) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | ||||||||||||||||||||
Samoa 115–7 Papua New Guinea (Apia, Samoa; 11 July 2009) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||||||||||||||||||
New Zealand 101–14 Samoa (New Plymouth, New Zealand; 3 September 2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 7 (First in 1991) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Quarter-finals, 1991 and 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.manusamoa.com | |||||||||||||||||||
The Samoa national rugby union team (also known as Manu Samoa) is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union. The name Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. Samoa Rugby Union were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga.[1] They are ranked 16th in the world.[2]
Rugby was introduced to Samoa in the early 1920s and a governing body was soon formed. The first international was played as Western Samoa against Fiji in August 1924. Along with Tonga, these nations would meet regularly and eventually contest competitions such as the Pacific Tri-Nations – with Western Samoa winning the first of these. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was known as Western Samoa.
Samoa have been to every Rugby World Cup since the 1991 tournament. That tournament, along with the 1995 competition, saw them make the quarter-finals. Under their new coach, former New Zealand and Samoan international player Michael Jones, Samoa competed in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. However, Samoa had a dismal World Cup campaign, winning only one match and finishing fourth in their group. Samoa showed an improved performance at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, winning two matches by comfortable margins, and losing close matches to South Africa and Wales.
Contents
1 History
2 Financial problems
3 World Cup record
4 Wins against Tier 1 nations
5 Overall record
6 Current squad
7 Player records
7.1 Most caps
7.2 Most tries
7.3 Most points
7.4 Most matches as captain
7.5 Most points in a match
7.6 Most tries in a match
8 The New Zealand connection
9 Strips
9.1 Kit Manufacturers
9.2 Sponsors a
10 See also
11 Notes
12 External links
History
The Marist Brothers brought the game of rugby to Western Samoa in 1924 and The Western Samoa Rugby Football Union was formed in 1924. On 18 August 1924, Western Samoa played its first international against Fiji in the capital Apia, the visitors winning 6–0. The match was played at 7 am 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 neighbors Fiji and Tonga but had to wait 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 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 27–9 to England.
With the advent of professional rugby in 1995 it was vital for Manu Samoa to develop 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. Fay Richwhite invested $5 million from 1995 to 2004 into Samoan rugby.[3][4]
Samoa emerged from the 1999 World Cup with its honor 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 World Cup with a 17–16 loss against 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 35–22.
Samoa qualified for the 2011 World Cup after beating Papua New Guinea 73–12 in Port Moresby on 18 July 2009. They won 188–19 on aggregate over two matches against Papua New Guinea, having won 115–7 at Apia Park the previous week.[5]
Samoa began their 2011 World Cup campaign preparation with a flying start, after registering an upset against No.2 ranked Australia with a four-try-to-two win of 32–23.[6]
Financial problems
In November 2017, Samoa's prime minister and SRU chairman Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi announced that the organisation was bankrupt,[7] although those claims were denied by world governing body World Rugby.[8]
World Cup record
Samoa performing their Siva Tau before playing South Africa at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Not invited |
| 1991 | Quarterfinals |
| 1995 | Quarterfinals |
| 1999 | Quarterfinal play-offs |
| 2003 | Pool stage |
| 2007 | Pool stage |
| 2011 | Pool stage |
| 2015 | Pool stage |
| 2019 | Pool stage |
In one of the scenes of the feature film, Invictus, Western Samoa can be seen playing South Africa in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Wins against Tier 1 nations
| 6 October 1991 | Wales  | 13–16 |  Samoa | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: I Evans Emyr Con: Ring Pen: Ring | Report | Try: Vaega Vaifale Con: Vaea Pen: Vaea (2) | Attendance: 45,000 Referee:  Patrick Robin (France) |
| 13 October 1991 | Argentina  | 12–35 | Samoa | Sardis Road, Pontypridd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Teran Nougues Con: Arbizu Pen: Arbizu Laborde | Report | Try: Bachop Bunce Lima (2) Tagaloa (2) Con: Vaea (4) Pen: Vaea | Attendance: 8,500 |
| 25 June 1994 | Samoa | 34–9 | Wales | Moamoa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Lam Lima (2) Con: Kellett (2) Pen: Kellett (5) | Report | Pen: N Jenkins (3) | Referee:  Barry Leask (Australia) |
| 27 May 1995 | Italy  | 18–42 | Samoa |  ABSA Stadium, East London | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Cuttitta Vaccari Con: Domínguez Pen: Domínguez Drop: Domínguez | Report | Try: Harder (2) Kellett Lima (2) Tatupu Con: Kellett (3) Pen: Kellett (2) | Attendance: 12,000 Referee: Joel Dume (France) |
| 30 May 1995 | Argentina | 26–32 | Samoa | ABSA Stadium, East London | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Crexell Penalty Try Con: Cilley (2) Pen: Cilley (4) | Report | Try: Harder Lam Leaupepe Con: Kellett Pen: Kellett (5) | Attendance: 15,000 Referee:  David Bishop (New Zealand) |
| 12 November 1996 | Ireland  | 25–40 | Samoa | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Wallace Con: Mason Pen: Mason (6) | Report | Try: Leaupepe Patu So'oalo Vaega (2) Con: Va'a (3) Pen: Va'a (3) | Referee: Santiago Borsani (Argentina) |
| 14 October 1999 | Wales | 31–38 | Samoa | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Thomas Penalty Try (2) Con: N Jenkins (2) Pen: N Jenkins (4) | Report | Try: Bachop (2) Falaniko Lam Leaega Con: Leaega (5) Pen: Leaega | Attendance: 72,500 Referee:  Ed Morrison (England) |
| 8 July 2000 | Samoa | 43–24 | Italy | Apia Park, Apia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Lima Samania So'oalo Vaega Vili Con: Samania (3) Pen: Samania (4) | Report | Try: Checchinato Moscardi Stoica Con: Pez (3) Drop: Pez | Attendance: 7,500 Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa) |
| 24 November 2001 | Italy | 9–17 | Samoa | Stadio Tommaso Fattori, L'Aquila | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pen: Domínguez (3) | Report | Try: Fa'atau Pen: Leaega (2) Vili (2) | Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Robert G. Davies (Wales) |
| 3 December 2005 | Argentina | 12–28 | Samoa | Buenos Aires | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Agulla Fernández Lobbe Con: Fernández Miranda | Report | Try: Johnston Sititi Tagicakibau Con: Warren (2) Pen: Warren (2) Drop: Warren | Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) |
| 17 July 2011 | Australia | 23–32 | Samoa | Stadium Australia, Sydney | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Ioane 37' Giteau 70' Con: Giteau (38', 71') Pen: Giteau (40', 41', 57') | Report | Try: Tuilagi 11' Williams 28' Thompson 45' G Pisi 54' Con: T Pisi (13', 29', 55') Pen: T Pisi (3', 65') | Attendance: 29,908 Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa) |
| 16 November 2012 | Wales | 19–26 | Samoa | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Beck 32' Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 33' Pen: Halfpenny (4/5) 15', 28', 49', 61' | Report | Try: Autagavaia 1' c G Pisi 46' m Leota 77' m Con: T Pisi (1/3) 2' Pen: T Pisi (3/6) 40', 56', 65' | Attendance: 44,329 Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France) |
| 8 June 2013 | Samoa | 27–17 |  Scotland | Mr Price Kings Park, Durban | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: So'oialo 6' c Tuilagi (2) 11' c, 62' c Con: So'oialo (3/3) 8', 13', 64' Pen: So'oialo (2/3) 53', 69' | Try: Lamont 49' m Pen: Laidlaw (4/5) 10', 18', 31', 41' | Attendance: 9,753 Referee: John Lacey (Ireland) |
| 15 June 2013 | Samoa | 39–10 | Italy | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Try: Williams 20' c Leiua 41' m Leota 53' c Tuifu'a 63' c Va'aulu 72' c Con: Williams (3/4) 21', 53', 64' Anufe (1/1) 73' Pen: Williams (2/3) 30', 51' | Try: Penalty try 70' c Con: di Bernardo (1/1) 70' Pen: Orquera (1/3) 27' | Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa) |
| 14 June 2014 | Samoa | 15–0 | Italy | Apia Park, Apia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00 WST (UTC+13) | Pen: T. Pisi (5/7) 10', 24', 30', 47', 69' | Report (In Italian) | Attendance: 7,000 Referee: George Clancy (Ireland) |
Overall record
Men's World Rugby Rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Top 30 rankings as of 18 March 2019[9] | |||
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
| 1 |  | New Zealand | 092.54 |
| 2 |  1 | Wales | 089.96 |
| 3 |  1 | Ireland | 088.69 |
| 4 | | England | 086.27 |
| 5 | | South Africa | 084.58 |
| 6 | | Australia | 082.40 |
| 7 | | Scotland | 080.17 |
| 8 | | France | 079.42 |
| 9 | |  Fiji | 077.95 |
| 10 | | Argentina | 077.05 |
| 11 | |  Japan | 075.24 |
| 12 | |  Georgia | 074.42 |
| 13 | |  Tonga | 073.02 |
| 14 | | Italy | 072.04 |
| 15 | |  United States | 071.71 |
| 16 | |  Uruguay | 069.09 |
| 17 | | Samoa | 068.78 |
| 18 | |  Romania | 065.84 |
| 19 | |  Spain | 065.11 |
| 20 | |  Russia | 063.72 |
| 21 | |  Canada | 061.36 |
| 22 | |  Namibia | 060.34 |
| 23 | |  Portugal | 059.79 |
| 24 | |  Brazil | 058.42 |
| 25 | 1 |  Hong Kong | 058.11 |
| 26 | 1 |  Netherlands | 057.60 |
| 27 | 2 |  Belgium | 057.35 |
| 28 | |  Germany | 055.79 |
| 29 | |  Chile | 054.04 |
| 30 | |  South Korea | 053.59 |
*Change from the previous week | |||
Samoa's historical rankings | |||
 | |||
Source: World Rugby - Graph updated to 7 January 2019[9] | |||
Below is table of the representative rugby matches played by a Samoa national XV at test level up until 14 July 2018.[10]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | For | Aga | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75% | 111 | 82 | +29 |
| Australia | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.00% | 58 | 204 | −146 |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 37 | 8 | +29 |
| Canada | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 169 | 103 | +66 |
| England | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0.00% | 114 | 292 | -178 |
| Fiji | 52 | 20 | 29 | 3 | 38.46% | 918 | 1039 | -121 |
| Fiji XV | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | 20 | 58 | -38 |
| France | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.00% | 49 | 156 | -107 |
| Georgia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 20.00% | 105 | 91 | +24 |
| Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 148 | 38 | +110 |
| Ireland | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16.67% | 103 | 209 | -106 |
| Italy | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.42% | 175 | 109 | +66 |
| Japan | 15 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 73.33% | 482 | 273 | +209 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 74 | 7 | +67 |
| Namibia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 89 | 25 | +64 |
| New Zealand | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0.00% | 72 | 411 | -339 |
 Papua New Guinea | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 188 | 19 | +169 |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 37 | 49 | -12 |
| Scotland | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9.09% | 193 | 298 | -105 |
| South Africa | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0.00% | 99 | 431 | -332 |
| Tonga | 64 | 33 | 27 | 4 | 51.56% | 1119 | 956 | +163 |
| United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 117 | 85 | +32 |
| Uruguay | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 60 | 13 | +47 |
| Wales | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 40.00% | 180 | 235 | -55 |
| Total | 232 | 101 | 122 | 9 | 43.53% | 4722 | 5178 | -456 |
Current squad
On 7 October, Steve Jackson named a 31-man squad for their 2018 Northern Hemisphere Tour where they will meet USA, Georgia and Spain
Head Coach:
Steve Jackson * Caps Updated: 16 November 2018
Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.
|
Player records
Most caps
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Won | Lost | Draw | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Lima | Wing | 1991–2007 | 64 | 61 | 3 | 31 | 31 | 2 | 50.00 |
| 2 | To'o Vaega | Centre | 1986–2001 | 61 | 56 | 5 | 35 | 25 | 1 | 58.19 |
| 3 | Semo Sititi | Flanker | 1999–2009 | 59 | 50 | 9 | 33 | 26 | 0 | 55.93 |
| 4 | Census Johnston | Prop | 2005– | 57 | 43 | 14 | 25 | 31 | 1 | 44.73 |
| 5 | David Lemi | Wing | 2004– | 54 | 46 | 8 | 21 | 31 | 2 | 40.74 |
| 6 | Zak Taulafo | Prop | 2009– | 44 | 39 | 5 | 20 | 22 | 2 | 47.72 |
| 7 | Opeta Palepoi | Lock | 1998–2005 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 55.81 |
| 8 | Ofisa Treviranus | Flanker | 2009- | 42 | 32 | 15 | 17 | 24 | 1 | 41.66 |
| 9 | Mahonri Schwalger | Hooker | 2000–2011 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 45.00 |
| 10 | Daniel Leo | Lock | 2005–2014 | 39 | 33 | 6 | 22 | 16 | 1 | 57.69 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[11]
Most tries
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Lima | Wing | 1991–2007 | 64 | 61 | 3 | 140 | 29 |
| 2 | Alesana Tuilagi | Wing | 2002–2015 | 37 | 35 | 2 | 90 | 18 |
| 3 | Semo Sititi | Flanker | 1999–2009 | 59 | 50 | 9 | 85 | 17 |
| 4 | Afato So'oalo | Wing | 1996–2001 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 80 | 16 |
| 5 | Lome Fa'atau | Wing | 2000–2007 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 70 | 14 |
| 6 | David Lemi | Wing | 2004– | 54 | 46 | 8 | 65 | 13 |
| 7 | To'o Vaega | Centre | 1986–2001 | 61 | 56 | 5 | 71 | 12 |
| 8 | George Leaupepe | Centre | 1995–2005 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 50 | 10 |
| 9 | Elvis Seveali'i | Centre | 2000–2007 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 45 | 9 |
| 10 | Ed Fidow | Wing | 2018- | 7 | 6 | 1 | 40 | 8 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[12]
Most points
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tusi Pisi | Fly-half | 2011– | 37 | 238 | 2 | 27 | 56 | 2 |
| 2 | Earl Va'a | Fly-half | 1996–2003 | 28 | 174 | 3 | 33 | 31 | 0 |
| 3 | Silao Leaega | Fullback | 1997–2002 | 19 | 145 | 2 | 21 | 31 | 0 |
| 4 | Brian Lima | Wing | 1991–2007 | 64 | 140 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Darren Kellett | Fly-half | 1993–1995 | 13 | 137 | 2 | 14 | 31 | 2 |
| 6 | Roger Warren | Fly-half | 2004–2008 | 12 | 119 | 0 | 13 | 29 | 2 |
| 7 | Gavin Williams | Centre | 2007–2010 | 16 | 106 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 0 |
| 8 | Tanner Vili | Fly-half | 1999–2006 | 31 | 99 | 4 | 20 | 13 | 0 |
| 9 | Alesana Tuilagi | Wing | 2002–2015 | 37 | 90 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Andrew Aiolupo | Fullback | 1983–1994 | 37 | 89 | 3 | 21 | 11 | 0 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[13]
Most matches as captain
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | % | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semo Sititi | Flanker | 2000–2007 | 39 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 48.71 | 45 | 9 |
| 2 | Pat Lam | Number 8 | 1995–1999 | 23 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 39.13 | 10 | 2 |
| 3 | David Lemi | Wing | 2012–2017 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 47.61 | 35 | 7 |
| 4 | Peter Fatialofa | Prop | 1990–1995 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 68.75 | 9 | 2 |
| 5 | Mahonri Schwalger | Hooker | 2009–2011 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 38.46 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | George Stowers | Number 8 | 2008–2009 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14 | 10 | 2 |
| Chris Vui | Lock | 2017-2018 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 28.57 | 5 | 1 | |
| 8 | Kahn Fotuali'i | Scrum-half | 2013–2017 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0 |
| Ofisa Treviranus | Number 8 | 2015 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00 | 5 | 1 | |
| Alesana Tuilagi | Wing | 2015 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 62.50 | 5 | 1 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[14]
Most points in a match
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gavin Williams | Centre | 30 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea | Apia | 11/07/2009 |
| 2 | Roger Warren | Fly-half | 24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | Tonga | Apia | 29/05/2004 |
| 3 | Andrew Aiolupo | Fullback | 23 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | South Korea | Tokyo | 08/04/1990 |
| Silao Leaega | Fullback | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Japan | Wrexham | 03/10/1999 | |
| Toa Samania | Fullback | 23 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Italy | Apia | 08/07/2000 | |
| 6 | Darren Kellett | Fly-half | 22 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Tonga | Moamoa | 04/06/1994 |
| Ahsee Tuala | Fullback | 22 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Germany | Heidelberg | 14/07/2018 | |
| 8 | To'o Vaega | Centre | 21 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | Fiji | Apia | 01/06/1991 |
| Earl Va'a | Fly-half | 21 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 |  Georgia | Perth | 19/10/2003 | |
| Roger Warren | Fly-half | 21 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | Fiji | Apia | 09/07/2005 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[15]
Most tries in a match
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvis Seveali'i | Wing | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Japan | Apia | 10/06/2000 |
| Alesana Tuilagi | Wing | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tonga | Apia | 02/07/2005 | |
| Esera Lauina | Wing | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea | Apia | 11/07/2009 | |
| Robert Lilomaiava | Wing | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Canada | Colwyn Bay | 09/11/2012 | |
| 5 | Tupo Fa'amasino | Wing | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | South Korea | Tokyo | 08/04/1990 |
| Brian Lima | Centre | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fiji | Apia | 01/06/1991 | |
| Afato So'oalo | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Tonga | Apia | 28/06/1997 | |
| Dominic Feau'nati | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Namibia | Windhoek | 12/07/2003 | |
| Mikaele Pesamino | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | 18/07/2009 | |
| Alesana Tuilagi | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Namibia | Rotorua | 14/09/2011 | |
| Ed Fidow | Wing | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Germany | Apia | 30/06/2018 |
Last updated: Spain vs Samoa, 24 November 2018. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[16]
The New Zealand connection
Western Samoa's triumph in the 1991 Rugby World Cup was inspired by their assistant coach Bryan Williams,[citation needed] who was a New Zealand-born (of Samoan descent) All Black great of the 1970s. The 1991 Samoan World Cup team included many New Zealand born or raised players; the catalyst was Auckland prop Peter Fatialofa, who in 1989, became the first major New Zealand-based player to play for Samoa. By the time of the 1991 World Cup several other New Zealand-born Samoans like Pat Lam, Stephen Bachop, Frank Bunce and Apollo Perelini had joined him. New Zealand born players with Samoan parentage have 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 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.
In the 2007 World Cup there were 14 New Zealand-born players in the Samoan squad.[17] The only team with more foreign born players in their squad was Italy who had 15.[17]
Strips
Manu Samoa play in blue and white uniforms, with the home strip consisting of blue jerseys, white shorts and blue socks and the away kit being with the colours reversed. Since 2007, the flag of Samoa has been featured on the left sleeve and pe'a-like patterns were incorpored into the jerseys.
       1989-1998 Home |      1998-2001 Home |  1999 RWC Home |    2001-2003 Home |    2003-2004 Home |
   2005-2006 Home |     2003 RWC Home |  2007-2010 Home |    2010-2012 Home |     2010-2012 Away |
   2012-2013 Home |    2014 Home |      2015 Rugby World Cup Home |     2015 Rugby World Cup Away |
 2015-2016 Home |    2016 Home |    2016 Away |
Kit Manufacturers
- 1986-1988 Umbro
- 1988-1996 Canterbury of New Zealand
- 1996-1998 Reebok
- 1999-2003 Adidas
- 2004-2009 Puma
- 2010-2012 KooGa
- 2012-2013 BLK
- 2014-2015 Canterbury of New Zealand^b
- 2015-2016 BLK
- 2016-2017 LE Sportswear
- 2018-current BLK
Sponsors a
- 1980s-1992 None
- 1992-1994 Telecom New Zealand
- 1994-1998 Vailima
- 1998-1999 Newcall
- 1999-2003 None
- 2005-2011 SIFA. WS
- 2012-2013 Digicel
- 2014-2016 Cromwell Property Group (front), Redefine Properties (back)
- 2016-2017 Bluesky Communications
- 2017- Magnum Hire (front), Henderson Cars (back) ^c
- 2017 - Invest Samoa ^d
- 2018 - Grey Investment Group
^a Sponsored logos appear on jerseys for matches other than the Rugby World Cup where branding, except for logos of equipment manufacturers, is not allowed.
^b Canterbury brand apparel was supplied for the 2014 end-of-year tour.
^c Sponsors worn during the Pasifika Challenge double-header.
^d Invest Samoa sponsored Samoa during the 2017 end-of-year rugby union tests.
See also
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samoa national rugby union team. |
- Rugby World Cup
- Pacific Tri-Nations
- Pacific Islanders rugby union team
- Samoa national rugby sevens team
- Samoa Rugby Football Union
- Samoa national rugby league team
Notes
^ We quit: SRU Samoa Observer
^ "World Rugby Rankings". World Rugby..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Samoa's Prime Minister praises banker, Sir Michael Fay, for supporting Manu Samoa". Radio New Zealand International. 18 April 2004. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
^ "Fay: Samoans need change". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
^ "Samoa qualify for 2011 World Cup". BBC Sport. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
^ Samoa shock Australia with 32–23 win in Sydney BBC Sport, 17 July 2011
^ "Union broke, P.M. admits". Samoa Observer. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
^ "Autumn Tests: Samoa rugby not bankrupt, says World Rugby". BBC. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
^ ab "Men's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
^ Samoa rugby statistics
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_matches.html?id=15;type=team
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_tries.html?id=15;type=team
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_points.html?id=15;type=team
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_matches_captain.html?id=15;type=team
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_points_match.html?id=15;type=team
^ http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/player/most_tries_match.html?id=15;type=team
^ ab "All those born abroad". Planet Rugby. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
External links
- Official website of Manu Samoa
- Samoa Rugby Union
Manu Samoa Looking Forward For RWC2011 Manu Samoa Rugby blog
Samoan rugby union news Planet Rugby- The information website for supporters of the Manu Samoa Rugby Team
Rankings International Rugby Board- Pacific Islanders Rugby Team Supporters Site
