Samoa Rugby Central

Samoa have failed to qualify for the knockout rounds at the last six Men’s Rugby World Cups, but they are intent on snapping that streak in two years. With a new format introducing a round of 16, there is now more opportunity than before for teams to progress.

There was only one more World Cup spot up for grabs when Samoa made their way to Dubai for The Final Qualification Tournament last month. Samoa secured the 24th qualification spot with a 13-all draw with Belgium, following wins over Brazil and Namibia.

The tournament draw on Wednesday saw Samoa placed in Pool E alongside Pacific Nations Cup rivals the USA and Japan, and Northern Hemisphere juggernauts France. Samoa finished sixth at the 2025 PNC, having lost to the USA 29-13 on September 14.

Samoa: ‘The World Cup is always full of upsets… you need to have belief’ Samoa have failed to qualify for the knockout rounds at the last six Men’s Rugby World Cups, but they are intent on snapping that streak.

Manu Samoa in Pool E with France, Japan and USA for Rugby World Cup 2027

Manu Samoa in Pool E with France, Japan and USA for Rugby World Cup 2027 - Samoa Global News World Rugby today have announced the Pools for the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2027 to be held in Australia and Samoa have been drawn with Feance, Japan and USA in Pool E. Before today’s pool announcement each team were put into four categories based on their current world rugby rankings. The 6 pools...

🏉🌺 Malisi Pacific Sevens Tournament 2024 🌺🏉

The countdown is on! Join us this Saturday at the Manukau Rovers Rugby Football Club for an action-packed day of rugby sevens showcasing the best Pacific talent! 🙌🏽

🕘 Kick-off: 9am
📍 Location: Manukau Rovers Rugby Football Club

We want to give a massive Fa'afetai Lava to our incredible sponsors who make this event possible:
📻 Radio Samoa
💸 KlickEx in the Pacific
✈️ Auckland Airport Community Trust
🩺 Pasefika Family Health Group
🔗 4way Connection Ltd
💪 Ama1Gear
💙 Marcellin Orleans
🏉 Moana Pasifika
📣 MMiller Marketing & Design
📊 Nesian Sports for live scoring and real-time updates!

This exciting event is proudly brought to you by MBOPA Samoa NZ. Gather your aiga, bring your flags, and let’s celebrate our love for rugby and Pacific culture together. 🌴🔥

Stay tuned for more updates! 💙💚

See you there!

Congrats Manu Samoa Sevens! Bring on

Media release | 27 October 2023; Tuanaimato, Samoa: At World Rugby’s Council meeting in Paris, France, Lakapi Samoa supported and endorsed World Rugby’s reshaping of the annual men’s 15s competition involving Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and USA to be launch in 2024.

The significant outcome for the renewed Pacific Nations Cup competition for Lakapi Samoa:
Increasing the number of competitive annual test matches.

* Provide long-term certainty and sustainable future from 2024.
* Certainty in delivering and optimizing commercial /performance returns.
* Combined opportunity with the proposed two-division global competition to be finalized.

The competition supports the bigger picture objective of reshaping the global men’s competition calendar and combined with the proposed two-division global competition model, renewed investment in regional competitions and cross-border club structures, the new competition landscape will secure a positive and sustainable future of international rugby for participating unions, providing a platform for accelerated growth.
The rebranded Pacific Nations Cup, which will be played in the southern hemisphere release window of August and September, will feature two pools of three teams – a North America/Japan pool and a Pacific Islands pool with each union hosting matches.
A finals series involving all teams will take place each year, where the annual champions will be confirmed. Japan and USA will host the finals series in alternate years, starting with Japan in 2024.

Backed by significant World Rugby investment and union support, each union will play a minimum of three additional matches a year via the new competition, delivering important certainty for each union in order to optimize commercial and performance returns, including ticket and sponsorship revenue and domestic broadcast.

Lakapi Samoa Chief Executive Officer, Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai said: “These are positive significant changes that will benefit our Manu Samoa for more annual international fixtures. The certainty from World Rugby to greater commercial opportunities to gain and sustain our small Unions into the future is progressive and exciting. Combined with the proposed new two-division global competition model from 2026 and cross-over fixtures, these changes will ensure greater number of matches in between and heading into Rugby World Cups. The global Calendar with the two-division competition is anticipated in 2026 will provide an opportunity for us to access on merit"

World Rugby Chief Executive Officer, Alan Gilpin added: "We are on the side of growth and this tournament is a key pillar in a wider strategy. Combined with the proposed new two-division global competition model from 2026 and cross-over fixtures against high performance unions, performance unions could be playing an unprecedented number of annual fixtures from 2026."

Manu Samoa Head Coach, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua added: “I am excited at the potential of the expanded Pacific Nations Cup as it provides important high quality fixture certainty to grow and develop Manu Samoa."

“This means we will have more test matches and more time together as a team which we have lacked in the past. This new environment will enable us to keep growing and developing as we look towards Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.”

-MEDIA RELEASE ENDS-

Well done boys, massive effort and heart Manu Samoa🇼🇸💯👏🏾🔥

HT: Samoa 14 - 8 England

LESHGO Manu Samoa🇼🇸

Congrats Japan! Malo tau, Manu Samoa🇼🇸

Japan leads Samoa at the break, faamalosi Manu🇼🇸

Samoa 23 to take on Japan