The fate of sevens rugby in the nation may hang on the performance of the Manu Samoa 7s team at the Oceania Championships next weekend.

We stand at the lowest point of sevens rugby in the game’s history. Failure to win the Oceania 7s will mean that there could be no international sevens participation for almost a year.

On Friday evening, Lakapi Samoa named the Manu Samoa 7s and Manusina 7s squads for the Oceania Championship and we have a good mix of players. It was good to see a lot of local players getting a break and a chance to prove themselves.

We wish them all the best so we can get back to where we belong. Manu Samoa 7s is a powerhouse in the sevens game but over the years we have seemed to lose track of how the game is played.

There is still no explanation for what went wrong in Madrid when Manu Samoa 7s lost all their games in the promotion-relegation tournament. The Dubai 7s is on now and the two teams that were promoted have made strong statements. Uruguay beat Ireland and Kenya showed South Africa how the game is supposed to be played.

It hurts seeing Manu Samoa 7s not being part of the tournament.

It is a question of development and investment. The key areas where the governing body for the sport has lacked. There is not being done enough at the grassroots level. This is reflected when the schoolboys’ teams are matched against other nations.

When all the other nations had their teams selected and in training mode, we were looking for a national coach. The Manu Samoa 7s team has had three weeks of training. They trained in Savaii and then two weeks at the High Performance Unit. The Savaii training did look good but the results on the field will show if it has paid dividends.

The focus seems to have been lost and this is reflective of the leadership of the governing body. An overhaul of the sporting body is needed and a need to change the attitude that rugby is not professional.

Samoans are international stars in rugby whether playing for Samoa, captaining Scotland or being the highest-paid Wallaby. Rugby is now more than just a weekend game. It is employment, livelihood and an avenue to a better life for many. The governing body should have development plans that reflect this.

During a press conference last week, there was a hint that there may not be enough finances to take the team to the Solomon Islands. An official even said that they would be asking players to buy their tickets. There was an announcement of a $60,000 sponsorship as well, hopefully this covers the cost for both the men and the women.

Players who are already making sacrifices should not be asked to pay for their way to a tournament where they will represent the nation. When the team wins, the nation says they have won. The Minister for Sports could have been asked for assistance but he is too busy in events for his political party.

The Manu Samoa 7s and the Manusina 7s need to win the competition for the non-core teams and secure spots for the Challenger Series. This series is as tough as the World Sevens Series. Then they need to make sure that they finish in the top four at the end of the season.

This will allow them an opportunity to qualify for the promotion-relegation series in the final tournament of the World Sevens Series. The nation will always cheer you on.

All the best Manu Samoa 7s and Manusina 7s.