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A strong appeal by South Africa to add a sixth Super Rugby team perhaps opens a window to again push for a Samoan rugby franchise.
A few years ago, when Super Rugby was fiddling with a 15th team, the Samoa Rugby Union was asked by SANZAR to submit a proposal for a possible Super Rugby franchise. We are not sure if a proposal was ever submitted.
But the reality today is, we need a professional rugby franchise for our local players to aspire to, develop their talents, and most importantly, earn a living. A spinoff – though not exclusively – is strengthening Manu Samoa. Super Rugby, like Europe’s Heineken Cup, keeps the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Springboks at the pinnacle of world rugby.
The IRB can throw us all the money and build all the academies in the world, but at the end of the day, if there is no professional franchise accessible to our local players, all that investment will be in vain.
Barring one or two who went off to Europe, the rest of the players who started and graduated from the HPU (High Performance Unit) at Alafua are either playing sevens rugby or out there driving taxis, farming or working in the public service. The flash new rugby academy at Faleata could also go the same way. Meaningless.
To fully pursue a professional franchise and insist on joining SANZAR, we have to first part our ways with our neighbours Tonga and Fiji and the failed concept of a Pacific Islands team. We have to do it on our own.
The reality is, Fiji is run by an unelected military regime and professional sport – which thrives under democratic conditions – is unrealistic there. SANZAR will not touch it with a ten-foot fishing pole.
Tonga is still coming to grips with democratic values after hundreds of years of absolute monarchical rule. Its relatively small and dispersed population and a lack of commercial institutions is not conducive to business, least professional sport.
All Pacific Islands people know why the Pacific Islands team never reached any great heights. Because it was flawed from the very beginning.
The idea was initiated by non Pacific Islanders with the idea that given the enormous rugby talents of the three, albeit very different, Pacific rugby nations, a combined team would be a killer.
The concept was easily sold to non-Pacific islanders who flocked to watch so-called Pacific Island flair in action. The reality is, Pacific Islands people never warmed to the team because they’ve always identified themselves as fiercely, Fijian, Tongan or Samoan. A West Indies idea was never going to work.
But back to a Samoan Super Rugby franchise, the first question that will be asked is how a Samoan team can be commercially sustainable. How will it pay for itself?
Before we get to that, it has to be established that the proposed Samoan Super Rugby team is not the Samoa national team. The players also should not be exclusively Samoan or be eligible to play for Samoa.
If there is a better first-five, wing or a prop in Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia or Argentina then Toa Samoa has to make space for them. Local players also should not be lulled into a false sense of security that they can just walk into the team.
For lack of a better name, we will borrow the rugby league tag and call our team Toa Samoa.
Some possible funding this column has in mind could come from a state-owned corporation like SIFA (Samoa International Finance Authority) which does its business overseas. It reportedly turns over an average WST$20 million (NZ$14 million) a year and has been sponsoring other major sports in the country.
No doubt, they would want to expand their company register in New Zealand and Australia and to South Africa, and possibly to Japan, the United States and Argentina.
The fledgling Virgin Samoa airline – an offshoot of the Virgin Airlines brand – is another possible sponsor. Aggie’s Hotels and Resorts which has now added South Pacific Waters and Meridian Tahiti Resort to its assets, has been a stalwart of Samoan rugby since the early years. There is potential for more commercial opportunity for their regionally-expanding companies by investing more in a professional rugby franchise.
There is also possible funding from the canneries in American Samoa, given that Toa Samoa is not exclusive to Independent Samoa.
If ever Super Rugby expands to the USA, there is potential for more Samoan investors there. They all love rugby.
In terms of attendance, the Samoan team does not have to be based in Samoa, though a few games at Apia Park and one at a revamped Tafuna Veterans Stadium in American Samoa is a must.
Samoans are a patriotic bunch and Toa Samoa could fill any stadium in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and possibly Brisbane.
If Super Rugby goes to the USA, Toa Samoa could fill any Stadium from Hawaii to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. The thousands of flag-waving Samoans and American Samoans (there is no distinction when they go to the U.S) at Sam Boyd Stadium in Vegas last month is proof of that.
In fact, Samoa and other Pacific Islanders patronage and love rugby – if the IRB and SANZA could take full advantage of – could be rugby’s doorway to the massively, but elusive, American sports market.
A Toa Samoa- Canterbury Crusaders match in LA could pull the rafters down. Which raises the question, how will Toa Samoa add to Super Rugby?
After 16 years, Super Rugby has become unimaginative and uninspiring.
The addition of one South African side and two from rural Australia over the years has not turned the competition on fire. New Zealand has had the same five teams year in, year out.
Super Rugby is not so super any more. It needs not only to penetrate the lucrative sports markets in Asia and North America but also bring in new teams that play an exciting brand of rugby. Toa Samoa can provide both that.
There is plenty of Samoans in New Zealand and Australia and, given the pale faces at Super matches, most of them stay home and don’t identify with their local super rugby team. Toa Samoa will bring them out.
If Super Rugby is to expand into Hawai’i and mainland USA, the 180,000 Samoans there, their friends and other Pacific Islanders will make sure Toa Samoa does not play to empty stadiums.
What the Samoa Rugby Union needs to do right now is draw up a viable business plan and approach SANZAR the same way South African Rugby Union is doing, arguing for a sixth side.
If done right, Toa Samoa may just be the savior of Super Rugby.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.