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'Humbled' Samoan players left to rely on public donations to attend Rugby World Cup

By Josh Raisey
Samoa, here lining up prior to a November 2017 match against England (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Samoa captain Chris Vui and teammate Jack Lam have thanked the Samoan public for donating and raising funds so that the players can go to the Rugby World Cup.

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Vui said he was “extremely humbled” on Twitter by the generosity of his supporters, as Samoa prepare for the Rugby World Cup in Japan in September with the Pacific Nations Cup.

Lam, who played alongside Vui last season under his cousin Pat at the Bristol Bears, also showed his appreciation on Twitter, but highlighted the reality of the situation.

He said: “My wish is one day we won’t have to depend on the generosity of our people to get us to the World Cup or pay our players and have to make tough decisions like choosing between country and club.”

This is one of the biggest problems Pacific Island nations face at the moment, as more and more players are opting for club over country. Only yesterday Joe Tekori retired from international rugby in favour of staying with Top 14 champions Toulouse.

While the towering lock did not explicitly say why he had opted to retire, it could be financially motivated. Then again, at the age of 35, there is nothing wrong with that, as this is ultimately his profession and it is finite. It is unknown how much longer his career will last, and he will want to earn as much as he can, as would most people in any job.

It is also understandable why a growing number of Pacific Island players opt to play for other countries, given the vast sums that international players can earn in the northern hemisphere.
Lam has highlighted one of the biggest problems that rugby faces currently, and one that does not have a simple solution.

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Trevor 34 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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