The chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, has called on Samoans living overseas to stop using the Manu Samoa as a means of filling their pockets.
He said this is a practice that has been going on for too long and must stop.
“Stop hoodwinkling the people,” he said.
In an interview with journalists yesterday, the chairman said this happens a lot when Manu Samoa teams are on tour, especially to the USA and also New Zealand and Australia.
“These people rally peoples support to functions that they say will help with funds for the Manu Samoa, then they give the team maybe a $1,000 dollars and they pocket the rest,” he said.
He said the organizers also invite team members to these functions as a drawcard to get more people in.
He was speaking about the latest development with SRU where it has amended it’s constitution to reduce the numbers on the management committee.
“This will show World Rugby that Samoa Rugby Union is practicing good governance,” he said.
Tuilaepa hopes these moves to improve the union makes Samoa the first to do so in the Pacific and will go a long way to getting a seat on World Rugby Board.
Manu Samoa recently beat Germany to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in Japan next year.
