2014 - November Rugby Internationals

APoc184

APoc184

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To be fair.

I saw a tweet this morning that said something along the lines of: The match fee of 1 England player today is enough to pay for the entire Samoa squad match fees.

The game has turned "professional" as some would say and I don't hold it against the guys if they can make millions in NZ and provide for their family back in Samoa/Tonga/etc.
 
APoc184

APoc184

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It seems the Samoa problem comes down to maladministration.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...reat-was-to-save-Samoa-rugby-not-kill-it.html

Dan Leo, the Samoa lock, says the uproar and fallout caused by the team’s threat to boycott the game against England on Saturday has been “very difficult to deal with”.
He has, though, pledged that Samoa will “play with pride” at Twickenham, even though the Samoan prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who is also chairman of the country’s rugby union, has dismissed the disaffected players as “spoilt children”.
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/63407265/Samoa-rugby-problems-have-been-passed-down

Samoan players are embroiled in a growing dispute with their national body over a list of complaints ranging from pay issues to a lack of financial transparency, and general governance of the game there.
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http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-uni...why-samoa-are-fighting-for-their-rugby-future

Fuimaono-Sapolu's issue is mainly with how Samoa is treated, especially by their own union and says all the players want is to be treated fairly and with respect.

“The team are asking for exactly what we asked for – professionalism, transparency, being treated with respect and fairness.

“A lot of our issues have to do with local players – even though they are in high-performance units they are not being paid. If they are paid its late or half of it’s gone because of some ‘emergency’ payment that the Samoa Rugby Union has had to pay. They are not being treated fairly and it has to stop.”
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sand_man

sand_man

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...-party-for-long-overdue-first-Test-visit.html

On Nov 1 New Zealand will play USA at Soldier Field in Chicago. One could say that it is a warm-up for their Test against England at Twickenham a week later. But one could also say that it is as naked a commercial act as seen in recent rugby union history, with the All Blacks expected to pocket $1 million. Their main sponsors, AIG, just happen to be based in America, too.
Then on July 8 next year New Zealand play Samoa in Apia. One could say that it is an ideal warm-up to begin their Rugby World Cup preparations. But one could also say that it is guilt getting the better of the Kiwis at last.
For it is quite remarkable that New Zealand have never been to Samoa (or indeed Tonga or Fiji) to play a Test. Neither have England, Australia or South Africa been to Samoa, but that is not necessarily the point.
That is because New Zealand have been exploiting Samoan rugby for too long without giving anything back in return. In fact one could say that they have been poaching players for too long.
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http://books.google.co.za/books?id=...BA#v=onepage&q=samoan rugby exploited&f=false

“If we got 20% of the gate money then that funds rugby in Samoa for two to three years; that’s coming from just one game. The players are not being greedy; all they want is for our country to be fairly treated and for our union to treat the players fairly. The future of rugby in Samoa needs funding and needs someone to make a stand.”
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sand_man

sand_man

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OrbitalDawn said:
Which doesn't exist... So what do they do in the meantime?

I wouldn't mine one, though.
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And that's the point. Why don't they?

How can a nation that's consistently ranked in the top 10 not have a strong domestic setup?

I suspect a big part of it is so their resources can be tapped by nz/oz.
 
OrbitalDawn

OrbitalDawn

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sand_man said:
And that's the point. Why don't they?

How can a nation that's consistently ranked in the top 10 not have a strong domestic setup?

I suspect a big part of it is so their resources can be tapped by nz/oz.
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Not really. It's maladministration from the Samoan Rugby Union. The Prime Minister is the President of the Union, too.

They've been getting money, but a lot of it gets siphoned off and doesn't reach players, and the Union itself is dysfunctional.
 
Solitude

Solitude

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I've got this crazy feeling that Tonga will win against Scotland. A major upset and very unlikely ... but I can't shake the gut feeling.
 
Spizz

Spizz

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Solitude said:
I've got this crazy feeling that Tonga will win against Scotland. A major upset and very unlikely ... but I can't shake the gut feeling.
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It's the kebab you had last night. Go and lie down for a while and we'll forget all about this blasphemy...


:p
 
sand_man

sand_man

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OrbitalDawn said:
Not really. It's maladministration from the Samoan Rugby Union. The Prime Minister is the President of the Union, too.

They've been getting money, but a lot of it gets siphoned off and doesn't reach players, and the Union itself is dysfunctional.
Click to expand...

Maladministration doesn't explain why no major test playing nation has played a test in Samoa.

Or why they've been excluded from super rugby or rugby championship competition.
 
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