Rugby: Samoa settle admin woes

Jack Lam believes the players' collective will improve Samoa's chances of success on the international stage. Photo / Getty Images

As Samoa fly out of Auckland today to start their World Cup campaign, they do so with unprecedented contentment and unity, having finally made peace with their administrative arm.

In a first of its kind for a Tier Two nation, Samoa have agreed a collective contract that guarantees the players certain basic rights regarding payment, accommodation standards, training expectations and general welfare.

This may not necessarily look a big deal, but it is. What major Tier One nations have taken for granted since the dawn of the professional age has been denied Samoa's players.

Player payments can be irregular and often differ from what individuals were expecting. Training gear often doesn't turn up. Kit goes missing. There's often no water at training. Hotels can be on the budget side and while the likes of the All Blacks can focus on just training and playing at a World Cup, Samoan players have typically spent much of their time wondering when they might visit a launderette and how they will make their next car instalment if the payment promised by the union doesn't turn up.

The volatile and loose nature of Samoa's administration has been a genuinely destabilising and debilitating factor for the team. And it has been this way for too long.

Matters started to boil over in the wake of the last World Cup when then-captain Mo Schwalger spoke out after the tournament about the hypocrisy and incompetence of the team's management.

That led to his being dropped and the issues largely being swept under the carpet until the players reached crisis point in November last year.

Such was their dissatisfaction at the way they were being treated, the players felt they had no choice but to threaten strike action.

What they wanted was for the Samoan Rugby Union to engage in meaningful, transparent dialogue and to accept change was needed. There was no trust between the players and union — and possibly with good reason. An audit of the Samoan Rugby Union enforced by World Rugby discovered that around $1.5 million was unaccounted for and the players wanted answers.

The players also needed a more professional support structure around them and certainties about crucial aspects. Their actions drew global media attention — as well as support from the All Blacks — and led to the Pacific Island Rugby Players' Association fronting talks with the Samoan administration.

Bottom line — the administration of the game was a shambles and the players had no idea what might happen next. They had no chance of progressing as a team, despite their obvious talents.

But those talks which began late last year have culminated in the signing of an historic agreement which will lead to better communication between the players and union, and transparency around all decisions.

There will now be consultation in matters that affect the players, clarity around the respective obligations and expected standards of conduct and certainty around assembly fees and match payments.

Former Hurricanes flanker Jack Lam, who is set to be an integral member of Samoa's World Cup squad, said: "It is important that everyone involved with Manu Samoa has a shared understanding of what we want to achieve on and off the field.

"As with all Tier Two rugby countries, there are many challenges to overcome to compete successfully on the world stage. As players, we welcome the opportunity to work together with our governing body to maximise our chances of success."

The timing of the agreement is perfect, coming the day Samoa fly to the UK, where they will play the Barbarians and London Wasps before the tournament.

This will come on the back of an extended programme of tests they enjoyed through July and August, one of which included the historic match against the All Blacks in Apia.

Samoa have arguably never been better placed to fulfil their potential at a World Cup, something they haven't done since they shocked everyone in 1991, when they beat Wales to make the quarter-finals and followed it with another last-eight campaign four years later.

Placed in a pool with South Africa, Scotland, the United States and Japan, they have a realistic chance of again making the quarter-finals.

Most pundits are picking the Springboks to win the pool undefeated and that second place will come down to the result between Samoa and Scotland who close out the pool when they clash in Newcastle.