Sonny Bill Williams drives N.R.L.’s Pacific Strategy

“I have been here a couple of times before, but the welcome was second to none. Thanks for showing my friends that Samoan hospitality. The drive around town on the back of a truck is something that we will probably remember for a long time”

Australia’s National Rugby League (N.R.L.) launched its Pacific Strategy here in Samoa this week, with Sonny Bill Williams leading the charge.
During an event held at the Samoa Cultural Village Fale in Apia on Monday, the N.R.L’s C.E.O., David Smith, said with Samoa landing a place in the Four Nations Cup, it made what his team was here to do all that more important.

According to the N.R.L. the Strategy is aimed at strengthening Rugby League and building stronger business and community ties in the Pacific Islands.

Last week nrl.com reported Mr. Smith as saying the Pacific Strategy would focus on: game development, player welfare, commercial and corporate opportunities, supporting education, social and community outcomes and strengthening the Rugby

League bodies in each nation to build the international game.


“I have to say since I got off the plane this morning and I know Sonny got off the plane last night the welcome has been incredible,” Mr. Smith said.

“It is an incredible country with incredible people, so thank you very much for making us feel so welcome.”

“This is the launch of the NRL Pacific outreach strategy.”

“What we are doing here is recognising that through community, through connections with government and business and thorough community engaged development that our great game can do a lot more in the Pacific.”

“Which is very important because already Samoa is in the Four Nations now they are there by right - playing a fantastic game against Fiji.”

Mr. Smith said with nearly 40 per cent of players in the N.R.L. having Pacific heritage, it was vital that the game increase its connections with the region.

“And (that) we do that with a long-term future in mind,” he said.

“It is also very important that we do that with some of our wonderful players. Sonny Bill is here today with us as the Ambassador for Samoa.”

Mr. Smith told nrl.com that one of the great aspects of the program was that it enabled N.R.L. stars like Sonny Bill Williams to give something back to their homeland.
 


He said the players will combine skills clinics with educational programs aimed at teaching children how to eat well and lead healthy lifestyles.
 


“It is very important that we use those players to connect with the country,” he told the crowd on Monday.

“(Through) the health and wellbeing programs we are going to run to connect in a way with our elite development programmes and some of the other programmes that we want to run.”

“Such that hopefully for the next world cup maybe we will see Samoa in the final, maybe lifting the World Cup.”

“I know we are going to be coming back a lot and I look forward to a long-term future for Rugby League with Samoa.”

Australia’s National N.R.L. Coach, Tim Sheens, here in Samoa for the first time, was also in awe of the welcome given to the team.

“I have been to Fiji, I have been to Tonga, I have been to Papua New Guinea,” he told the crowd.

“But I must admit it is the first time I have gone around the town on the back of a truck and enjoyed it so much.”

“So thank you very, very much for that welcome.”

“I am looking forward to the next couple of days when I get to see your wonderful island.”

Mr Sheens said his role, while he was here on island, was to talk to and encourage the coaches.

“Because it is really what they teach is what the kids learn so as well as their wellbeing and their education.”

“It is about encouraging them to play sport.”

“We obviously want them to play Rugby League - however if they play any sort of sport I think that is a healthy, great thing for them to do.”

“So I will be here talking to the coaches and working with some of the kids.”

Getting up to speak, Mr Williams thanked Samoa for showing his friends true Samoan hospitality.

“(It is) awesome to be standing here today, back in Samoa,” he said.

“I have been here a couple of times before, but the welcome was second to none. Thanks for showing my friends that Samoan hospitality.”

“The drive around town on the back of a truck is something that we will probably remember for a long time.”

He said in addition to launching the Strategy, what they were here in Samoa to do was to spread the word of healthy living style, active living style.

“That is something that I am very, very passionate about,” he said.

“(I am) very honoured to be able to come back here and preach that word and hopefully over the next couple of days we can set in place some programmes that the kids will pick up.”

He said with the 40 per cent player statistic, it meant that it was real possibility that any of the young men that play rugby league can make a living out of it.

“As I have and you can make it not just for yourself but for your family,” he told his fans.

“And that is probably the biggest thing of my sporting career that I am proud of is that I have been able to look after my family.”

“It is a special occasion and a really humbling experience so far, I just want to say thank you very much for having us.”

In response to the conference the President of Rugby League Samoa, Tagaloa Fa’afouina Su’a, said the fact that such high-ranking N.R.L. officials had come to Samoa meant that they were not forgetting about our people here.

“They realise that the Pacific people have long been the sleeping giants of the game of Rugby League when they found out that around 37 per cent of the players have a Pacific background,” he said.

In regards to Mr Williams leading the charge:

“It is good for him to come here and promote the game,” Tagaloa said.