There is offshore interest in taking the hottest job in rugby, the coach of Manu Samoa. The position needs to be filled soon. Only three months remain for rugby’s international window to open up.

The biggest task for the new man-in-charge will be to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2027. Whoever is chosen, the road ahead is not easy.

The new format of the Pacific Nations Cup will have two teams qualifying from the regional tournament. Fiji and Japan have already qualified, which means that there is a greater probability for Manu Samoa to take one of the two spots.

The new-look team that played in the PNC last year has a lot of promise, it was a pity that the team could not be put back together for the November tour. This means whoever the new coach is, his job is already a tough one because he would take a team that has had no international matches together for more than a year. That is tough, especially when you expect the national team to go head-to-head with teams that are more prepared and have had more test matches. Game time together is a great factor.

That is the short-term plan. What about the long-term plan? With the advent of professional rugby in 1995 it was vital for Manu Samoa to develop a new administrative structure. This was made possible with Fay Richwhite and the Western Samoan Rugby Union joining forces to form Manu Samoa Rugby Limited. Fay Richwhite invested $5 million from 1995 to 2004 into Samoan rugby. Then there has been considerable money poured in through World Rugby but we are yet to come up with a long-term plan. What has happened in the last 30 years and why are sliding backwards instead of moving forward?

We need a long-term plan that will focus on developing rugby from the grassroots. There is a need to focus on school rugby and not the way it is being done now. The primary school competition needs to be beefed up. Inter-school competitions should start at the district level and then each district should select a district team starting from the under-9 grade all the way to under-13 for a national tournament. Provide teachers with coaching courses and train referees. Empower the administrators, managers and coaches with knowledge.

A similar competition structure is needed for the secondary school or college level. This would help Samoa improve and nurture players from a young age. This will also see us being competitive in school-level meets and not getting flogged by a cricket score margin by Scotland.

To do all this, a change is needed in Lakapi Samoa. From 1995 to 2025, that is 30 years of professional rugby and what do we have to show for it, an overdraft situation. Recently, Australia has provided $2.4 million for four years to improve women’s sevens rugby. We hope that the money will be utilised for its intended purpose.

The dire financial status of the union is not secret. This is a fact stated by its former Chief Executive Officer Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea'i. He has said that the union at most times operates on an overdraft.

What does this situation mean for rugby in the country? Rugby remains the nation’s number one sport. It is not only a game but for many a way of life. Rugby for some is employment and for many, it is like a religion.

Does this mean that this would impact local competitions? Will the lack of finances have any bearing on the nation’s ability to produce a sevens team? What about the Pacific Nations Cup or grassroots development?

These are questions that must be answered. Some of these are programs under World Rugby for specific functions, surely those will not be hindered. National coaches past and present know the value of having international tests with top-tier teams. Every sporting body is fighting for a slice of the sponsorship cake. The size of the cake remains but the number of mouths increases, making the slices smaller. This also shows that forward-thinking in utilising the Manu Samoa brand has been absent or not working.

This also shows that the overseas company partnered to bring in sponsors for Lakapi Samoa has not yet paid dividends. This calls for a new approach.

Urgent action is required on how this stalemate can be turned around. World Rugby has come out and said Lakapi Samoa’s financial situation was a direct consequence of decisions made by the administration.

The biggest question now is “What will it take to turn things around?” Whatever it is, it needs to be done urgently for the sake of the game we all love.