Samoa Barbarians to Punta del Etse, Uruguay.

Written by Media Release
Thursday, 03 January 2008
Apia, Samoa: Samoa 7’s Head Coach, Galumalemana Rudolf Moors, has arrived in Uruguay with a mix of Samoa’s upcoming sevens talent to participate at the Punta del Este Sevens tournament on the 4th and the 5th January 2008. Samoa sevens veteran, Simaika Mikaele will lead the Samoa Barbarians, and will hope to make an impression against the formidable opposition they expect to encounter at the prestigious South American seven’s tournament. “This is a very new and experienced team, so we have to work hard to come together on the field against some of the good sides we will be meeting” says the veteran forward. Mikaele will have in his flanks an array of young talent in the form of St Joseph’s College student, Siaosi Akerei and rangy forward Mike Purcell, who impressed for the Samoa sevens Development team in Papua New Guinea and Auckland last year. Youngster Alatasi Tupou joins the team after an earlier injury setback, and will hope to provide direction for the Barbarians backline which includes speedster Esera Lauina and Reupena Levasa, who was promising in Dubai and George. Fiji, Tonga and Argentina will also be vying with Samoa Barbarians for the Punta del Este title in 2008. Head Coach Galumalemana Rudolf Moors appreciates the opportunity to participate at these tournaments as a means of introducing the younger and more inexperienced players to the higher levels of competition provided by these tournaments. “The more quality competition we give our younger players the better equipped they will be, when they are required to take the step up, particularly during the IRB World Seven’s Series”. Moors further adds the importance of the tournament for some of the younger players to push for places in the Samoa seven’s team for the second leg of the IRB World series. “ Its an another excellent opportunity for not only the players to push for selection, but for Stephen ( Samoa 7’s Assistant Coach and Manager ) and i to finalize a team for Wellington and San Diego” says Moors. Samoa has been decimated thus far by injuries early in the series, seeing several of its more seasoned campaigners sidelined. Samoa Rugby Union CEO, Su’a Peter Schuster, sees this as a need to introduce and expose more players to higher levels of competition. “With Rugby evolving into a more faster and more competitive game, injuries will be part and package of the game” says Schuster, “Unfortunately, with Samoa having a far less player base than most tier 1 nations countries including Fiji even, it has more of a detrimental effect on our ability to compete at optimal levels in comparison”. Schuster, encourages the need to participate at these tournaments to further develop its promising players to higher levels of competition, “We need to expose our younger and promising players as much as possible to tournaments such as Punta del Este, in order for these players to cope better to the higher levels of International competition”. The Punta del Este Sevens Tournament has been a regular fixture in the International sevens calendar over the last ten years, and has consistently drawn top teams from all over the globe to the popular South American Tourist spot. The Uruguay Rugby Union has intently bid for the Punta del Este tournament to be incorporated into the IRB World Seven’s Series, and will look to push it’s cause after the 2009 IRB Seven’s RWC in Dubai. Samoa last participated at the prestigious tournament in 1997, and will look earnestly at doing well at this year’s tournament. The team will be expected to return to Samoa on the 8th January where Moors and Betham will select the Samoa 7’s team for the second Leg of the IRB Seven’s Series in Wellington and San Diego. The Samoa Barbarians team: Simaika Mikaele ( Capt ) Alatasi Tupou Wilson Silipa Solomona Silipa Siaosi Akerei Mike Gabriel Reupena Levasa Mike Purcell Alafoti Faosiliva Esera Lauina Galmalemana Rudolf Moors ( Head Coach ) Stephen Betham ( Assistant Coach/Manager ) Comments (1) Subscribe to this comment's feed samoa win it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! written by dan asuao, January 05, 2008 malo galu and the boy...the game was on espn..samoa wins the final..beating buenos aires by 25 - nil...goodluck for the wellington and san diego sevens..o kou mama ga. Write comment Name Email Title Comment
Last Updated ( Friday, 04 January 2008 )

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