View source for Rugby Samoa

{{Short description|Samoan rugby union governing body}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{National rugby union 
| unionname   = Rugby Samoa
| nativename  = Lakapi Samoa
| logo        = Logo Samoa Rugby.svg
| logosize    = 100px
| founded     = {{start date and age|1924}}
| IRB         = 1988
| region      = 
| regionyear  = 
| president   = [[Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi]] 
| coach       = [[Seilala Mapusua]]
| url         = http://www.lakapisamoa.com
}}
'''Rugby Samoa''' ({{langx|sm|Lakapi Samoa}}) is the governing body of the sport of [[rugby union]] in [[Samoa]]. Founded as the ''Apia Rugby Union'' in 1924, it was affiliated to the [[New Zealand Rugby Football Union]] the same year.<ref name=Jones>Jones, p10</ref> It joined the [[International Rugby Board]] as the ''Western Samoa Rugby Football Union'' in 1988. In 1997, when Western Samoa amended its constitution to change the country's name from ''Western Samoa'' to ''Samoa'', the union also changed its name, and dropped the word football to become the ''Samoa Rugby Union''. In November 2020, they changed their name to ''Lakapi Samoa'' which is [[Samoan language|Samoan]] for ''Rugby Samoa''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Von Dincklage |first=Vaelei |date=30 November 2020 |title=Samoa Rugby Union rebranded as Lakapi Samoa |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/75331 |work=Samoa Observer |location=[[Apia]], [[Samoa]]  |access-date=15 December 2020}}</ref> They were formerly members of the [[Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance]] (PIRA) along with [[Fiji national rugby union team|Fiji]] and [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]].<ref name="We quit: SRU">{{cite web | url=http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?view=article&id=10568:we-quit&option=com_content&Itemid=53 | title=We quit: SRU | access-date=21 November 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607150317/http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?view=article&id=10568:we-quit&option=com_content&Itemid=53 | archive-date=7 June 2011 | url-status=dead | website=www.samoaobserver.ws}}</ref> The union is also a member of the [[Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions]] (FORU).

There are 12 provincial unions made up of around 120 clubs and boasting nearly 5,000 senior and twice as many junior players in a country with a population of just under 175,000 people.

The main domestic tournament is the [[Samoa National Provincial Championship]].

==National teams==
The [[Samoa national rugby union team]] 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 national rugby union team|Fiji]] and [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]].<ref name="We quit: SRU"/>

The [[Samoa national rugby sevens team]] competes in the annual [[World Rugby Sevens Series]], and won the [[2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series|2009–10 World Series]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/edition=10/fixturesresults.html | title=International Rugby Board, Retrieved 31 May 2010 | access-date=21 November 2017 | website=irb.com}}</ref> Samoa were crowned winners of the 2010 Edinburgh Sevens. The historic victory followed three consecutive tournament wins in the world series, the [[Hong Kong Sevens]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/article377721.ece/Samoa-win-Honk-Kong-Sevens | title=Samoa win Hong Kong Sevens | work=Times LIVE | date=28 March 2010 | access-date=29 March 2010}}</ref> the [[USA Sevens]] and the [[Adelaide Sevens]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/edition=9/news/newsid=2036520.html | title=Superb Samoa wins Adelaide Sevens | work=International Rugby Board | date=21 March 2010 | access-date=29 March 2010}}</ref>

==Financial problems==
In November 2017, Samoa's prime minister and union chairman [[Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi]] announced that the organisation was bankrupt,<ref name="Union broke, P.M. admits">{{cite news | url=http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/08_11_2017/local/26403/Union-broke-PM-admits.htm | title=Union broke, P.M. admits | work=Samoa Observer | date=7 November 2017 | access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref> although those claims were denied by world governing body [[World Rugby]].<ref name="Autumn Tests: Samoa rugby not bankrupt, says World Rugby">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/42059958 | title=Autumn Tests: Samoa rugby not bankrupt, says World Rugby | work=BBC | date=20 November 2017 | access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>

==Notes==

{{Notelist}}

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}
* {{cite book
 | last = Jones
 | first = John R
 | author2 = Golesworthy, Maurice
 | date = 1976
 | title = Encyclopedia of Rugby Union Football
 | publisher = Robert Hale
 | location = London
 | ISBN = 0-7091-5394-5
 | url-access = registration
 | url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofr0000jone
 }}
<!-- * Jones, J.R. ''Encyclopedia of Rugby Union Football'' (Robert Hale, London, 1976 ISBN 0-7091-5394-5)  -->

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120918205753/http://www.manusamoa.com.ws/ Official website]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19991008084049/http://www.manusamoa.net/ Website for supporters of the Manu Samoa ]}}

{{Samoa national rugby union team}}
{{Rugby union in Samoa}}
{{World Rugby}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rugby union in Samoa]]
[[Category:Rugby union governing bodies in Oceania]]
[[Category:National members of World Rugby]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1924]]