Samoa Tag lends helping hand to Samoa Netball

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 18 July 2018, 12:00AM

Samoa Tag Incorporated donated sporting equipment to Samoa Netball yesterday. 

Samoa Netball C.E.O., Rosemarie Esera was on hand at JP’s Gym in Vaimea to receive 40 new balls presented by the President of Samoa Tag Incorporated, Faaofo’Nuu JP Leota, for the development of netball.

“This is really going to help us with our development programmes and promote netball,” said Rosemarie.

 “We do a lot grassroots programmes so this is a step to helping schools and church organisations. As you can appreciate with the sport of netball you need a ball and a hoop. The balls are quite pricey in Samoa so it’s a big help that through people like Junior, we can give three balls to every school.”

“We are grateful to the sports people who promote sport that we can work together and when they get goods like this, donated equipment that they share with the other sporting clubs, it’s a way to develop our sport.”

Last month, the executive members of Samoa Tag Incorporated were in New Zealand promoting Samoa Tag as well as the upcoming Teuila Tag festival in September.

Faaofonu’u said during their promotional tour in New Zealand, they networked extensively within the various Samoan sporting communities in New Zealand. 

“We were networking and trying to figure out how to fundraise for equipment,” he said. 

“We tried to reach out to the Samoan sporting community in New Zealand and see what they can give for Tag and also for other sports. We are fortunate that when we were there, our good friends donated 200 rugby balls and also some netballs as well.”

Fa’aofonu’u says the Samoa Tag Incorporated tried to do as much as they can to help keep the costs down to enable the sport to grow. So far there are 16 tag rugby clubs in Samoa and the donation would help everyone who are getting ready for the Teuila Tag festival.

C.E.O. of Samoa Netball, Rosemarie Esera, said she looks forward to the day when both sporting codes could work together. 

“Sharing is strengthening our partnerships in sport and hopefully they’ll be one day where we can take this forward and do clinics together with Tag since netball has the same motor skills as tag rugby,” said Esera.  

“Tag is really good because its easily for both males and females. Netball is predominantly a girls sport but we see in Samoa that there is a lot of interest from the males especially at the school age.”

As the fastest growing sport in the world, Leota said that Tag rugby is going strong in Samoa and they will be having their fifth one-day tournament in the upcoming weeks. In just five months, 17 clubs have been established. 

“Within those 17 clubs, we got six clubs who have got mixed divisions with men and women.”

By Elizabeth Ah-Hi 18 July 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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