The Pacific Nations Cup 2022 Champions and Manu Samoa 15s team visited several schools last week to talk about rugby values and how perseverance and hard work can take them places. 

Coming on the back of their recent Pacific Nations Cup 2022 victory over Fiji, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua was accompanied by Mahonri Schwalger (assistant coach), Su'a Hesed Ieremia (manager) and Orion Keil (assistant strength and conditioning officer) as well as player Theo McFarland.

They visited the schools to talk about rugby values and how success on the playing field can also be attributed to determination and perseverance in the classroom and ultimately academic success.

Vaovasamanaia told the Samoa Observer that the idea is to bring the spirit of rugby to the children. 

"Our children usually see their heroes on television but we want to bring their heroes to them," the head coach said. "Having Theodore here too is good for the children because they can see themselves in Theo and he is living his dream with rugby.”

Mr. McFarland currently plays for the Saracens in England’s Premiership Rugby and signed for the British club in August last year.

The Manu Samoa team had already visited a couple of schools last week on Upolu when the Samoa Observer caught up with them last Friday.

"We went to Samoa College, Vaiala Beach School, Avele College and now St Joseph's College,” Vaovasamanaia said. 

“The plan is to also go to some rural colleges to entice them to aim high with rugby but not just that, but with anything they want to aim for.

"We also want to go to some schools in Savai’i because they also will appreciate our outreach and we want to give them something good to smile about too.

"Values that we hold in rugby are values that will hold you in life, we want to show that you can be determined to be anything.

“Even if it's through education as an academic or serving the church and just being a fruitful person then you can commit to it to achieve it.” 

Asked whom he wanted to acknowledge, the head coach said the whole country and the people.

"I want to thank the whole country for all the prayers and the support. I keep telling the players that these are our people. Part of what motivates us is that we can give our people something to smile about.”

Vaovasamanaia added that values that are held high in rugby are the same values that will hold them in life. 

"We want to show that you can be determined to be anything, even if it's through education as an academic or serving the church and just being a fruitful person then you can commit to it to achieve it," he said.

"I want to thank the whole country for all the prayers and the support. I keep telling the players that these are our people. 

“Part of what motivates us is that we can give our people something to smile about.”

Questions were also taken from students at the St Joseph's College when the Samoa Observer was present last Friday.

A student asked the head coach what he said to the team at half time when Fiji was leading during the recent Pacific Nations Cup grand final in Suva. 

Vaovasamanaia said he told the team to believe in themselves and each other as well as who they were playing for.

“Believe in yourself, believe in each other. Remember who you are playing for – on the world stage they represent every Samoan," he said. 

"This is why we are here with you because you are the reason we play. As the people's captain always says ‘this is the people's team.”

According to Mr. Ieremia, the team’s manager, the Manu Samoa team as a group are models for the youth to look up to, if they are dreaming of becoming representative players.

"The Manu Samoa 15 is a world class team and the kids should know that if they choose to be in it, many countries will vie to want them too so it is definitely a sports team that is worthy of aspiring towards," he said. 

"Kids need to know that the Manu Samoa 15 gets you contracts with overseas countries. “You can play in England and other wealthier countries and get paid heaps of money.”

Mr. McFarland, who signed with the English team Saracens on a four-year contract last year, told students at the St Joseph's College that the reason he wanted to do well was because of his family. 

"I wanted to play rugby and do my best at it because of my family. I knew that it would help support my family," he said.

"At first I wanted to play basketball but it did not work out and now I am playing for Saracens in England, which means rugby has a future too and if you want it really bad and you are good at it, you can make it happen too.” 

A student at the St Joseph's College also asked about the type of diet for rugby players, which the assistant strength and conditioning officer, Orion Keil said should include fruits and vegetables and even coconut juice.

"When we get a coconut, it is the best thing in the world. We don't want energy drinks or sugary drinks,” he said. “Coconuts refresh us and make us stronger so definitely drink coconuts.” 

Mase Mahonri Schwalger, the assistant coach, told the students that there is value in working hard to achieve one's goals and remembering their families is always priceless. 

The Manu Samoa 15s team defeated Fiji 23–20 in a come-from-behind victory in the Pacific Nations Cup grand final on 16 July 2022.