Samoa threaten to boycott clash with England at Twickenham after accusing their hard up union of 'incompetence'
- Senior Samoan players wrote to the International Rugby Board last week
- They threatened to take strike action in protest at their cash-strapped union
- 'As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union in its current shape and under its current leadership,’ the letter read
By
Sam Peters for MailOnline
Published: 00:16 GMT, 13 November 2014 | Updated: 13:49 GMT, 13 November 2014
Samoa's players have threatened to boycott their side’s clash with England at Twickenham in next week after accusing their cash-strapped union of ‘incompetence’ and financial mismanagement.
It emerged on Wednesday that senior Samoan players wrote to the International Rugby Board last week threatening to take strike action in protest at their union’s failure to pay for flights and transport as well as a lack of financial transparency.
‘As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union in its current shape and under its current leadership,’ said the unnamed source in a letter addressed to the IRB and leaked to the Rugby Paper.
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Samoa's players have threatened to boycott their side’s clash with England at Twickenham in next week
‘We would like to notify you that we have called for the resignation of a number of senior officials within the Samoan Rugby Union and will be boycotting our game against England on the 22nd of November should our feelings not be addressed.
‘As a unified players group, it is felt that these issues are affecting our success on the field and we can no longer play under such poor leadership.
‘This has been coming for years. We're so poorly managed and poorly governed at the top and the players have had enough. There's heavy stuff going on.
'There's no communication between the SRU and the players, no transparency over funding and rugby in Samoa is dying out. The players are unified that the England game will not happen and that it's the only way to make the big-wigs take notice.’
Samoa's players accused their cash-strapped union of ‘incompetence’ and financial mismanagement
The IRB on Wednesday night confirmed the letter was genuine but insisted strike action, which would cost the RFU several million pounds, will be averted following talks between Samoa’s players – who earn a tiny fraction in comparison to England’s players – and union representatives.
‘On October 27, the IRB was made aware of concerns raised by the Samoa senior men's national squad regarding the administration of the Samoa Rugby Union,’ an IRB statement read.
‘This included an indication that the players would withdraw from the match against England on November 22 if their concerns were not heard.
‘Subsequently, the IRB engaged in dialogue with the Samoa Rugby Union and the International Rugby Players' Association to facilitate urgent and collaborative resolution.
Unknown source: ‘As players, we're unhappy with the incompetence of the Samoan Rugby Union'
‘With all parties, including the players, committed to ongoing dialogue, just under two weeks ago the players withdrew their proposed action to withdraw from the England match and the IRB fully expects the Union to undertake its obligation to honour its November Test programme commitment in full.’
The IRB announced a five-player shortlist for their world player of the year award which Ireland's Jonny Sexton the only British or Irish player to be named.
