Rugby players playing in Samoa may yet get the chance to play Super Rugby thanks to a new bid being pushed by a Samoan company.
A Super rugby bid by the Pacific Dragons, to be based in Singapore, has the Samoa Rugby Union excited. The Dragons is being promoted by businessman Eric Series who also owns the company running the Samoa Artesian Water.
Chief executives of the three core nations: New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa are meeting this week in Sydney to evaluate bids from Singapore and Japan to join super rugby when it expands to an 18-team competition in 2016.
Singapore has focus on building their team around players from the Pacific region, including Samoa.
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Prime Minister and Chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi is excited about the possibilities.
“We will have another avenue for our boys, our rugby players to compete,” he said.
“It would help enormously in improving the international competitiveness of our players.”
Former All Blacks and Manu Samoa player, Tiumalumanaia Dylan Mika told the Samoa Observer that it would be a wonderful opportunity for Samoan players to be part of Super Rugby.
“It’s going to strengthen our Manu Samoa players when they get the opportunity to play week in and week out,” he said.
“Funding is done from overseas that’s going to be involving Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and also Asia.”
A number of credible legends of the game are behind the concept.
“Tana Umaga has been involved in it, and we’ve had other players,” said Tiumalu.
“We have Seilala Mapusua and the Tuilagi brothers, those who have been playing in Hong Kong in the tens.”
The bid may be the one chance Super Rugby has to challenge the strong push by the National Rugby League in pursuing Pacific players.
Such a surge by the NRL includes the Pacific strategy that was launched last month in Samoa by NRL C.E.O, David Smith and Sonny Bill Williams.
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