Samoa women's national rugby union team
 |
|
| Union | Samoa Rugby Football Union |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Manusina Samoa |
| Coach(es) |
 Euini Lale Faumuina |
| First international | |
Samoa 10 - 12 Japan  (1 September 2000) |
|
| Largest win | |
 Tonga 5 - 60 Samoa (22 April 2006) |
|
| Largest defeat | |
Samoa 0 - 50 New Zealand  (4 September 2006) |
|
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 3 (First in 2002) |
| Best result | 9th, 2002 |
The Samoa women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Samoa, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 2000.
On Saturday 11 July 1998 two women’s teams played the curtain raiser to the Manu Samoa versus New Zealand A match at Apia Park. The two teams - National University of Samoa and Samoa Polytechnic became the first to officially play a women’s rugby match in Samoa, giving birth to Women’s rugby in Samoa and its national team: the Manusinalesoa.
In the space of two months the Samoa Women’s Rugby Union (SWRU) was formed. Members of the executive were: Dawn Rasmussen (president) Fauolegogo Tanielu (vice president) Susan Faoagali (secretary) Alataua Tuliaupupu (treasurer) Moana Lima (Letogo) Katie Bentin Aimaasu (Lupe o le Soaga) Vitoria Crichton Faamaoni (Falefa) . With the establishment of the union the naming of the national team was registered as Manusinalesoā, shortened to Manusina.
The inaugural women’s competition was held amid the Apia King of Rugby’s competition held during the Teuila festival (September). Seven women’s teams competed: Samoa Polytechnic, The National University of Samoa, Apia, Vaiala Ulalei, Letogo, Lupe o le Soaga and the Safua team from Savaii later known as SWIRT2000 (Savaii Women’s Inaugural Rugby Team 2000)
In 1999 a club competition took place under the Apia Rugby Union. Letogo won the Championship cup with Vaiala Ulalei winning the Lee Memorial Plate while NUS won the Round Robin competition.
In 1999 was the inaugural entry of the Samoa women’s team into the invitational Hong Kong women’s 7’s. The team was made up mainly of New Zealand-born Samoans until 2000 when local players made the team. Tupai Rico Tupai (coach), Lilomaiava Taufusi Salesa (Technical Advisor) and Treena Atoa (manager) managed the team. In 2000, women’s teams first entered the Marist International 7s Tournament. Six teams made up of five local teams: Letogo, Apia, NUS, Falefa, and Vaiala with NZ’s Ulalei making up the numbers.
Later that same year on 15 July the first international match was held at Apia Park between Manusina and the Cherry Blossoms of Japan. The inaugural test match, won by Japan was also the qualifier for the 2002 Women’s World Cup at Barcelona Spain.
Since then Manusina had taken part in various international games.
2001 was a tour of New Zealand and a game against the New Zealand Wild Ducks. It was a long 4-years later, in 2005 that Manusina played again, a game against England. A short 12-minths later in 2006, Manusina participated in the FORU tri-nations held in Tonga against Fiji, and Tonga. A prelude to the Women’s World Cup in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada the same year.
...
Wikipedia