RUGBY LEAGUE SAMOA PARTNERS WITH DRAGONS
Rugby League Samoa is pleased to announce a ground breaking partnership between Rugby League Samoa and the St George Illawarra Dragons NRL club. The partnership will see Rugby League Samoa utilise St George Illawarra Dragons’ high performance unit to develop and promote rugby league within Samoa.
The vision comes from St George Illawarra Dragons Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Scott Campbell, who also acts as the current Performance Director for Toa Samoa. Together with current Dragons coach and former Toa Samoa coach Steve Price, Campbell is passionate and committed to providing opportunities for island-based players.
Campbell joined Rugby League Samoa officials, Tagaloa Fa’afouina Su’a and Fritz Tuavii-Savaiinaea in meeting with Samoan Prime Minsiter Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. As a result, an opportunity evolved for St George Illawarra Dragons to contribute to the nation of Samoa.
Dragons coaching staff and officials will travel to Samoa during May to conduct high performance testing of approximately 200 Samoan athletes. Over the course of the 5 day visit, 30 athletes will selected for the final phase of testing and interviews for the chance to be placed in an Australian-based rugby league club.
Athletes will be tested against current Dragons benchmarking standards. The testing will include fitness, skills and game participation.
The partnership is the first of its kind between Rugby League Samoa and an NRL club and will provide locals with further opportunity to play rugby league in Australia, with a vision to build towards the next World Cup. The Dragons will act as a key link in promoting the game in Samoa and provide locals an insight into procedures used by a professional NRL club.
It is hoped the partnership between Rugby League Samoa and the St George Illawarra Dragons can be used by NRL clubs in other Pacific nations. This will have a positive impact on the exposure of the game as a whole and continue to foster the growing relationship rugby league in general has created with Pacific Islanders in Australia and in their homelands.
The visit comes off the back of Toa Samoa’s success in the recent Pacific Test against Fiji Bati. The victory secured Toa Samoa the final berth in the Four Nations tournament in October and November. Toa Samoa is now ranked fourth in the world and is the highest ranked Pacific Island nation.
The St George Illawarra Dragons will visit Samoa from 21st-25th of May.
