Complete overhaul needed

Re: Remember Mahonri Schwalger? 

Georgia was once considered a minnow-playing nation. 

The unthinkable has happened and Georgia has beaten Manu Samoa both in Samoa and now in Georgia.

Manu Samoa rugby team has fallen dramatically from grace, to the level of so called third tier rugby playing nations, like Spain, Morocco, or even Hong Kong, and will struggle to achieve the level of success, that once instilled pride in us all for a while, unless locally based players are exposed to the rigour of week in week out professional rugby competition environment, preferably involving powerhouses rugby nations, and our closest neighbours New Zealand and Australia.

Samoa Rugby Union should not sit on its backside, but get out there and push push, push for Manu Samoa to be allowed to join and play in any form of competitions within these countries; Clubs, Provincials, or Super Rugby competitions. Look at the vast improvement the Japan national rugby team, is making from being exposed to regular Super Rugby level of competition.

Samoa Rugby Union and its administrator are still stuck in the amateur era, wishing and hoping for a return to glory days. In fact, Manu Samoa did perform well in the years prior to rugby becoming professional. 

Those days are long gone, rugby is now a professional team sport, and one of the biggest motivating factors for players to perform to their optimum best, and hopefully make our Island nation proud again is better pay, and conditions.

The Samoa Rugby Union organisation needs a total clean out, from top to bottom, and replaced with the right people who are capable to turn Manu Samoa rugby team fortunes around, and restore our dented pride.

 

Utumap

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