On a recent trip to the small Pacific island nation of Samoa, barrett_ink interviewed current and former rugby players, to look into the talent identification process of uncovering future stars in a region that produces a huge amount of talent
APIA, Samoa - There was a time when Alofaaga Sao would bundle 32 coconuts together to use for weight training at his home on the remote palm-fringed Samoan island of Savai’i.
“Your core body needs to be strong for scrumming, and for doing lineouts, lifting people, [for] good tackles, and carry forward,” Sao told Reuters during a training session in Apia ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup, which starts later this month.Sao was barely known outside of his village earlier this year but muscled his way into World Cup contention with strong performances for the Savai’i Vikings in Samoa’s Super 9 domestic competition.
Schwalger told Reuters that young players were finding a pathway to international rugby through the programme, which is designed to train children and identify talent that would otherwise be missed. “For me, this is my job,” said Sao, who is nicknamed “love” by his team-mates; a direct English translation of his shortened first name, Alofa.While Samoa and other Pasifika nations produce large quantities of talented players that bolster union and league clubs around the world, professionalism has harmed the progress of their own national teams.
Tonga have never advanced beyond the pool stages, while Fiji made the quarter-finals twice, in the inaugural event in 1987 and again in 2007. The young players at the academy appear to have mixed allegiances when asked which team they support, with many citing regional power New Zealand as either their preferred team or team they most want to beat.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A Billowy Coconut Cake Made of 1,000 KissesA billowy coconut cake made of 1,000 kisses.
Read more »
'Orange Is the New Black' Props and Costumes Go Up for AuctionBeginning Friday, fans can bid on about 950 items including prison uniforms, props and accessories seen throughout all seven seasons of the Netflix series.
Read more »
Bianca Gascoigne got Brazilian Butt Lift after suffering body dysmorphiaBianca Gascoigne has opened up on how body dysmorphia drove her to get a painful Brazilian Butt Lift
Read more »
France Moves to Lift Ban on Assisted Reproduction for Female CouplesFrench President Emmanuel Macron’s government aims to lift a ban that prevents lesbian couples and single women from using assisted reproduction to have children, a move that risks a backlash from conservatives in his ruling coalition.
Read more »
Upbeat earnings lift European shares, autos zoomEuropean shares were set to rise for a third straight session on Tuesday, tracki...
Read more »