2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo)
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
And now it's official:
I think this is good news for the 7s team and the Chiefs.
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Former All Blacks set to switch to Samoa
Two former All Blacks are poised to switch their international allegiance to Samoa at next month's Final Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with eligibility for more than one country can switch their allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they have a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
World Rugby's rules otherwise prevent players from representing more than one country at senior level.
Lakapi Samoa's General Manager of High Performance, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun, said they've had discussions with some high-profile players who are keen to pull on the blue jersey.
"For us, I think we've got a couple of interested former All Blacks that are keen to use this opportunity to switch allegiance back to us."
The Samoa men's and women's sevens teams will both be competing in Monaco for a berth in the Tokyo Olympics.
Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France are among the 22 teams vying for the last tickets to Tokyo. One men's team will qualify and two women's from the tournament.
A squad of locally based players have been training in Samoa under Manu Samoa Sevens coach Muliagatele Brian Lima and Manusina Sevens coach Auimatagi Sapani Pomare, while a New Zealand based team recently played games against Tonga and the All Blacks Sevens.
Tonga is also competing in the Final Olympic Qualifier and have decided to only select players who are playing in Europe because of the risks associated with Covid-19.
Seumanu said the bulk of the Manu Samoa Sevens squad will be locally based.No names in the article. Who are the two former ABs? Maybe Lima Sopoaga? Who else?
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
Former All Blacks set to switch to Samoa
Two former All Blacks are poised to switch their international allegiance to Samoa at next month's Final Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with eligibility for more than one country can switch their allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they have a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
World Rugby's rules otherwise prevent players from representing more than one country at senior level.
Lakapi Samoa's General Manager of High Performance, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun, said they've had discussions with some high-profile players who are keen to pull on the blue jersey.
"For us, I think we've got a couple of interested former All Blacks that are keen to use this opportunity to switch allegiance back to us."
The Samoa men's and women's sevens teams will both be competing in Monaco for a berth in the Tokyo Olympics.
Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France are among the 22 teams vying for the last tickets to Tokyo. One men's team will qualify and two women's from the tournament.
A squad of locally based players have been training in Samoa under Manu Samoa Sevens coach Muliagatele Brian Lima and Manusina Sevens coach Auimatagi Sapani Pomare, while a New Zealand based team recently played games against Tonga and the All Blacks Sevens.
Tonga is also competing in the Final Olympic Qualifier and have decided to only select players who are playing in Europe because of the risks associated with Covid-19.
Seumanu said the bulk of the Manu Samoa Sevens squad will be locally based.No names in the article. Who are the two former ABs? Maybe Lima Sopoaga? Who else?
Good news, that’s a pain for them to jump through hoops - cos of their clubs being releuctant to let them go.
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
Former All Blacks set to switch to Samoa
Two former All Blacks are poised to switch their international allegiance to Samoa at next month's Final Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with eligibility for more than one country can switch their allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they have a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
World Rugby's rules otherwise prevent players from representing more than one country at senior level.
Lakapi Samoa's General Manager of High Performance, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun, said they've had discussions with some high-profile players who are keen to pull on the blue jersey.
"For us, I think we've got a couple of interested former All Blacks that are keen to use this opportunity to switch allegiance back to us."
The Samoa men's and women's sevens teams will both be competing in Monaco for a berth in the Tokyo Olympics.
Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France are among the 22 teams vying for the last tickets to Tokyo. One men's team will qualify and two women's from the tournament.
A squad of locally based players have been training in Samoa under Manu Samoa Sevens coach Muliagatele Brian Lima and Manusina Sevens coach Auimatagi Sapani Pomare, while a New Zealand based team recently played games against Tonga and the All Blacks Sevens.
Tonga is also competing in the Final Olympic Qualifier and have decided to only select players who are playing in Europe because of the risks associated with Covid-19.
Seumanu said the bulk of the Manu Samoa Sevens squad will be locally based.No names in the article. Who are the two former ABs? Maybe Lima Sopoaga? Who else?
Are they XVs players using Sevens to get eligibility for XVs or genuine Sevens players?
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@crucial said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
Former All Blacks set to switch to Samoa
Two former All Blacks are poised to switch their international allegiance to Samoa at next month's Final Olympic Sevens qualifier in Monaco.
Players with eligibility for more than one country can switch their allegiance by participating in Olympic qualifying events provided they have a passport for the second country and have completed a stand down period of three years.
World Rugby's rules otherwise prevent players from representing more than one country at senior level.
Lakapi Samoa's General Manager of High Performance, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun, said they've had discussions with some high-profile players who are keen to pull on the blue jersey.
"For us, I think we've got a couple of interested former All Blacks that are keen to use this opportunity to switch allegiance back to us."
The Samoa men's and women's sevens teams will both be competing in Monaco for a berth in the Tokyo Olympics.
Tonga, Papua New Guinea and France are among the 22 teams vying for the last tickets to Tokyo. One men's team will qualify and two women's from the tournament.
A squad of locally based players have been training in Samoa under Manu Samoa Sevens coach Muliagatele Brian Lima and Manusina Sevens coach Auimatagi Sapani Pomare, while a New Zealand based team recently played games against Tonga and the All Blacks Sevens.
Tonga is also competing in the Final Olympic Qualifier and have decided to only select players who are playing in Europe because of the risks associated with Covid-19.
Seumanu said the bulk of the Manu Samoa Sevens squad will be locally based.No names in the article. Who are the two former ABs? Maybe Lima Sopoaga? Who else?
Are they XVs players using Sevens to get eligibility for XVs or genuine Sevens players?
Might be former All Black 7s reps.
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
@crucial I'd expect All Blacks. I think they would have mentioned it if they were former All Blacks 7s players.
Sopoaga has been mentioned but how about Luatua? Tamanivalu? Nonu? Julian Savea?
Angus Ta'avao might be a bit difficult to justify playing sevens but if this is a mechanism to bolster 15s who knows?
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
@crucial Tamanivalu is Fijian. I think Europe based players are more likely than NZ based. I was thinking Vito, but maybe he's too old? Or George Moala?
Isn't Moala Tongan?
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Hmmm, Francis Saili & non-Europe based players like Augustine Pulu and Matt Duffie are possibilities. There are quite a few older players - apart from Vito and Nonu (to name three: Rudi Wulf, Benson Stanley and Isaia Toeava), but I can't imagine it's them.
Matt Duffie is currently in managed isolation, btw.
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@nepia said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
Isn't Moala Tongan?
Well he played for the Tongan Under 20s a fair while back but that does not mean to say he does not carry Samoan ancestry as well (although that is probably not the case).
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@stargazer said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
Hmmm, Francis Saili & non-Europe based players like Augustine Pulu and Matt Duffie are possibilities. There are quite a few older players - apart from Vito and Nonu (to name three: Rudi Wulf, Benson Stanley and Isaia Toeava), but I can't imagine it's them.
Matt Duffie is currently in managed isolation, btw.
I thought Pulu was Tongan too - I seem to remember Aussie Toutai mentioning him as a potential player.
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@nepia Pulu went to Wesley College and that is a Methodist Church School. The Methodist Church is probably the Tongan people's largest church so there is a fair chance that he too is probably Tongan, And this https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-xv-tongan-descent provides further back up to my assumption!
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@higgins said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
@nepia Pulu went to Wesley College and that is a Methodist Church School. The Methodist Church is probably the Tongan people's largest church so there is a fair chance that he too is probably Tongan, And this https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-xv-tongan-descent provides further back up to my assumption!
That's a decent team they've named.
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@nepia If you look at the number seven in the team listed https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-xv-tongan-descent you can take some of your mitts of him as well!!!!!!
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@higgins said in 2020 -> 2021 Olympic Sevens (Tokyo):
@nepia If you look at the number seven in the team listed https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-xv-tongan-descent you can take some of your mitts of him as well!!!!!!
Hahaha, I've never been an ethnicity is zero sum kind of guy (I'm a mongrel myself).
If Gus Leger makes the ABs he'll be awesome for these ethnicity teams.
George Moala - Wikipedia