Jones calls on IRB to boost game in Pacific Islands

SYDNEY - Samoa have appealed to the International Rugby Board (IRB) for action after stark evidence of a worrying decline in Pacific Islands rugby.

The Samoans were competitive for 30 minutes with the Wallabies before losing 7-74 on Saturday, a day after Fiji went down 0-91 to New Zealand at Albany.

The cash-strapped nations of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa want the IRB to help with funding, competitions and development work to prevent their teams from withering away.

Samoan coach and former All Black Michael Jones said: "I cannot understand the strategic thinking of wanting to grow a global game and of putting more money where there's so much money and pittances where there's no money.

"Maybe this might be a blessing in disguise in terms of making some of the key decision-makers of world rugby sit up and take notice that we have been beating these drums for many years now. I don't want to come back here in two or three years' time and be saying the same thing."

Jones said the Samoans, who gave eventual champions England a fright before going down 22-35 at the 2003 World Cup, desperately needed the IRB to help.

"We are very thankful to the Australian Rugby Union for the fixture against the Wallabies. But when you need help you don't go running to the neighbour down the road, you've gotta go to your dad first and, for us, our parent is the IRB," he said.

"We need a competition. If it's not the Super 14, then it has to be something up there with similar competition and intensity each week."

Samoa's plight, with that of Fiji and Tonga, has the sympathy and support of Wallabies coach Eddie Jones. "The reality is that these three countries are always going to have a number of players playing overseas because of the structure there and their economy. What they do need are the resources to bring them back."

- NZPA