Pacific inspires Samoa’s rugby warriors

Samoa is popularly known as the heart of the Pacific. And for the students of Itu o Tane College, the Pacific is the heart of Samoa.

The Pacific and rugby, of course.

Itu o Tane college is on the western side of Savai’i Island, the more western of the two main islands. It is a long way from anywhere which means the students largely play amongst themselves, often on the beach at Lalepa, occasionally in the salty spume of the ocean.

In Samoa, children only start playing rugby when they hit 14 years old – this is when they are allowed to enter rugby competitions through the schools, if the school can afford to do it.

Itu o Tane’s principal Allie Faletolu has done much to develop the game and in 2021, the college reached the Schools National XVs Rugby Championship in Upolu for the first time – and that was the girls Under-18s.

When the students start learning to play the game they are imbued with the values of respect and humility but that doesn’t stop them — boys and girls alike — from playing like warriors.

Western Samoa, as they were until 1997, announced themselves on the World Cup stage in Cardiff in 1991 when they beat Wales 16-13 in their opening fixture, prompting one local to utter the immortal words: “It’s just as well we weren’t playing the whole of Samoa.”

They reached the quarter-finals that year and again in 1995 but have struggled since, finishing fourth in their pool in the last two editions.

Like all of the Pacific islands, their players have been plundered over the years by the big Test nations, notably New Zealand and Australia.

A change in World Rugby rules means they have now managed to reclaim four of their own with former All Blacks Lima Sopoaga, Steven Luatua and Charlie Faumuina as well as ex-Wallaby Christian Leali’ifano all returning to represent their native land.

The Samoans have had better luck in rugby league of late, last year stunning the oval world by beating hosts England in the semi-final of the Rugby League World Cup before losing to favourites Australia in the final.

It was a remarkable rugby story, made all the more memorable by the much-publicised support on social media of Hollywood star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Whether The Rock will be tuned into the progress of Manu Samoa in at the Rugby World Cup in France remains to be seen but the form book suggests they may fare better this time.

They beat Japan in a warm-up and find themselves in a pool which, given England’s erratic form and build-up, could be more open than had been expected.

Samoa open their Pool D campaign against Chile in Bordeaux on September 16 before going on to play Argentina, Japan and England