The Samoa Rugby Union development policy at all levels continues this week with trials for the Under 20 team to contest the World Under 20 Trophy early next year.
Samoa could not participate in the annual World Under 20 Trophy this year after losing out to Tonga at the Marist Stadium earlier this year. Samoa lost back to back matches to Tonga under the coaching of Masoe Steven Betham and Mailo Potu Leavasa.
While SRU is going through the recruitment process for a new U20s Head Coach, Samoa A Head Coach Muliagatele Brian Limā, with some available Super 9 Coaches have come together to assist and identify players and coordinate the first round of trials scheduled for this Friday 04 October at ACP Marist Stadium, Lotopa, starting at 9:30am.
Muliagatele said that once the Head Coach appointment is in place, final trials will also include players from the secondary schoolboys team that is currently on tour in Australia.
“We will be playing in a qualifying match for a place in the Trophy competition so it’s important to have a well prepared team for that,” said Muliagatele.
SRU CEO Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea’i agrees.
“The immediate and long term focus for SRU is to develop the next generation of Manu Samoa players targeting the 2023 Rugby World Cup,” he said.
“This process is well underway and we are grateful to the Super 9 Coaches who have shown great support to our development programme for the future,”.
Selected trial squads for the first round of trials has been on-going and Muliagatele is hoping that it will be a competitive and robust round of trials.
