'Ratbags' ruin colourful support for Samoan World Cup fans

The Works Hair Salon on Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn, has dolled up its premises in support of Samoa for the Rugby World Cup. They even managed to get one of the Manu Samoa players, Tasesa Lavea (centre in blue). Photo / Natalie Slade

An Auckland woman who decorated her workplace with dozens of Samoan flags is upset after thieves took them all, leaving her shop bare.

Soala Wilson, co-owner of The Works Hair Salon in Grey Lynn, decked out the outside of the shop in support of Samoa's team.

She had put up flags, big and small, all around the white picket fence surrounding the shop. She also put up a banner made by a local church group outside the front gate.

But on Friday the flags began disappearing. The next day, more had gone.

Now the shop is bare.

"I'm pissed off, frankly. When I first put my flags up, it was amazing. The salon lit up and cars would go past tooting.

"But unfortunately there are some ratbags out there."

Ms Wilson said on one occasion, she was returning to the salon from a shopping trip, when she spotted a youngster trying to pull a flag off her fence.

She yelled at him and he ran off.

Having recognised the boy's school uniform, she phoned and left a message to the school headmaster.

Asked who she thought was behind it, Ms Wilson said she did not think it was just one person, but thought they were Samoan supporters.

"Well I don't think a Russian would steal a Samoan flag, eh? I'm not happy at all.

"If they had approached me and explained that they couldn't afford a flag, could I please have one, then I would've just given it to them."

Ms Wilson, who is of Samoan descent, said she was happy to decorate her home in support of Manu Samoa and also particularly as the Grey Lynn Business Association had adopted them as its second team during the Rugby World Cup.

Even the Samoan players, who stayed at a nearby hotel when they arrived in Auckland last week, were impressed.

"I saw their bus go past a couple of times and they would beep the horn. It's dented my pride now."

Ms Wilson has since taken a large banner from outside the salon's gates as she fears thieves will take that also.

"I don't think I'll be replacing the flags," she said.

"I just hope people get into the spirit of being good hosts and supporters and not the spirit of thieving."