Shameful Samoa snub

"It's one of the few places the All Blacks could go where literally the whole country would stop for 80 minutes. It might be good for some of the boys to go home"– Seilala Mapusua about the All Blacks in Apia

The New Zealand Rugby Union has done it again.

While it refuses for the All Blacks to play a test match in the Pacific – let alone Samoa – they added insult to injury yesterday when they confirmed the “not so big secret.”

That was, the mighty All Blacks – which has benefitted from a number of players with Samoan connections over the years - will instead play a test match in the United States, at the end of this year.

A statement from NZRU revealed that Soldier Field, the home of the NFL's Chicago Bears, which can host about 60,000 people, would be the venue for the November 1 clash.

The match will be the fourth game between the two nations.

The announcement yesterday comes at a time when an effort is being made to bring the All Blacks to Samoa.

Today, prominent TV personality, John Campbell, of TV3 New Zealand’s Campbell Live, is in the country. He is filming a story in Apia about the fact the All Blacks have never once visited Samoa, and have only ever played the Manu Samoa five times.

Mr. Campbell yesterday spoke to a number of key rugby figures in Apia, including Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, who is also the Chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union.

As for the programme being filmed in Samoa today, Mr. Campbell is interested to hear from anyone with strong views about the issue.

“As part of this programme, we would very much like to ask the people of Samoa whether they want the All Blacks to play there,” Mr. Campbell said.

“We would sincerely like to extend an invitation for all your Samoa Observer readers, and all the people of Samoa who are able to get there, to join us and tell us (and the people of New Zealand) what they think.”

Mr. Campbell is not the only one who feels that the All Blacks have disrespected the Pacific teams by not playing a test match in the Pacific.

Former All Black, Zac Guildford, feels equally strong about the issue.

“Rugby is a business now so it’s becoming all about the money,” he told the Samoa Observer during a recent interview in Apia.

“Unfortunately, the Pacific Islands don’t have that money so they’re being overlooked by the New Zealand Rugby Union which is a bit sad.

Rugby is a business now and everyone is just trying to make money.”

Guilford said the All Blacks could do so much more for the development of Samoan rugby and the Pacific in general.

“I think it is quite sad that we don’t have (regular) test matches against the likes of Samoa, Fiji, Tonga,” said Guilford. “It’s quite sad that we have to bring France … to make money. I don’t think it’s benefiting a lot of players in many ways but like I said, it’s a business these days.”

Guilford argued that Samoa and other Pacific countries could give the All Blacks far better competition than other teams – including Japan and the USA.

Last year, the All Blacks played a test match against Japan in Japan.

Former Manu Samoa captain, Seilala Mapusua said it’s about time the All Blacks visits Samoa.

"I'd love to see the All Blacks play Tonga in Nuku'alofa; Fiji in Suva and Samoa at Apia Park. It would be a massive boost for rugby globally," he told Fairfax.

"You'd have the No 1-ranked side in the world going to the Islands. It would open up everyone's eyes to the idea of playing the Island teams at home.

"There won't be any financial gains but in terms of growing the game, it would be huge.

"It's one of the few places the All Blacks could go where literally the whole country would stop for 80 minutes. It might be good for some of the boys to go home."

But since 1984, the All Blacks have not once set foot in the Pacific.

They have played nine matches in Fiji, between 1968 and 1984.

Asked for a comment last year, New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive, Steve Tew bluntly said: "No, the All Blacks have not played a test in Fiji, Samoa or Tonga and right now we can't see how that's going to work in the short term.

"It's very hard to fit in and very hard to make it affordable."

Mr. Tew said the decision “is in the best interests of New Zealand rugby.”

But he is not ruling out the possibility of a test match in Apia in the future.

"It's not dismissed as never going to happen," Mr. Tew said. "It's just very hard to see how we will get to the Islands in the near future in the current programme. If it doesn't work commercially, then I've got problems back home to resolve.”

"While I was away I had at least six inquiries about the All Blacks playing in other countries, some of them pretty diverse. Right now everybody wants to have a crack at hosting the All Blacks in their part of the world because it is the brand to drive the profile of the game."

As for the test in the US in November, All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw is excited about the prospect.

"You look at the calibre of athletes you see playing basketball and NFL, and if they put some real energy into rugby, there would be a fairly big pool to choose from," said All Black captain Richie McCaw. "A lot of people don't know about the All Blacks in the US, so it will be great to play a game there and show what rugby is all about."

For today, Mr. Campbell and his crew are setting up at the Mall between Convent Street and Mulinu’u Road, near the Milani Cafe, from 08.30 onwards.

- With reporting from The NZ Herald, Gregor Paul and Liam Napier of the Sunday News