Apia Park

The Seilala Mapusua coached side will be playing back-to-back home pre-rugby world cup matches against Fiji and Tonga.

However, prior to the two games, Samoa will have their first test match against the Japanese in Hokkaido on July 22nd.

The team will then return home for back-to-back matches against their traditional Pacific rivals, Fiji and Tonga on July 29th and August 5th and will be the first time the Manu return to play on the Apia Park grounds since their last game there in 2019.

The defending champions first won the title in 2011 before winning it again last year.

Vaiala is in Pool A, alongside Satalo, Moatoa and Ulutogia.

The host team, Marist St Josephs is also the favourite of the competition after winning the title 12 times.

Marist is in Pool D alongside Lupesiliva, Faleolo Jets and Malie Sharks.

Auckland Marist St Josephs and Fiji’s Tabadamu are the only overseas teams that have won the title.

Auckland Marist won it three times while Tabadamu only won it in 2019.

This happened right after the prolonged spell of sun following the closing of the Pacific Games which helped in drying out the ground.

Samoa Sports Facilities Authority CEO, Moefa’auo Salale Moananu says most of their ground staff worked tirelessly to prepare the rugby paddock and repair any damages from the games.

 “The staff took advantage of the sun to repeatedly roll the ground and add sand and dirt as it started to dry up,” Moefa’auo said.

Manu Samoa beat Tonga 25-17 on Saturday afternoon in wet and muddy ground conditions, which raised questions from players about the decision-making and player safety processes prior to the match.

Pacific Rugby Players' Association CEO Aayden Clarke said players from both teams were briefed about the weather conditions during a training camp in Auckland earlier this month, while officials from World Rugby raised the prospect of playing the game offshore, with no other grounds in Samoa meeting international standard.

Manu Samoa beat Tonga 25-17 in their Pacific Nations Cup opener on Saturday, but the game was almost called off before kick-off, with the playing surface resembling a mud-bath following heavy use during the Pacific Games and significant rain in the Samoan capital.

Samoa's Minister for Sport, Loau Keneti Sio, said the pitch at Apia Park is built on swampy land and agreed it was in need of an upgrade.

He said the government wants to build a new home of rugby on the other side of town and the sooner the project can get underway the better.

The global governing body has come under fire from some quarters after Samoa’s win over Tonga was played in dire weather conditions, with water pooling in some sections of t

Tonga centre Cooper Vuna and second row Sam Lousi have both taken to social media since the game to express their frustrations at what became something of a mudbath.

“Shoutout to World Rugby for signing off the field for us to play on today,” wrote Lousi, who has signed for Pro14 side Scarlets ahead of the new season, on Twitter.

Leo, who is the Player Welfare Manager for Pacific players based in Europe, raised his concern on social media directly to World Rugby about the poor ground set up at Apia Park in Samoa.

Leo made the comment following the PNC clash between Manu Samoa and Tonga.

 Heavy rain had affected the ground conditions and players were covered with mud during the game.
In his tweet today, Leo stated “Would England Rugby, All Blacks, Springboks or any Tier 1 team agree to playing on this? Then why is it acceptable for us poor nations?”

Tonga, already hampered by the late withdrawal of the inspirational Nasi Manu, had two players in the sin-bin when Afasetiti Amosa and then Belgium Tuatagaloa swung the game Samoa's way with tries in the closing minutes.

Torrential rain before kick-off reduced Apia Park to a quagmire which impacted on the game as a spectacle despite a willingness by both sides to throw the ball around.

More than 5000 athletes and team officials marched in last night's opening ceremony at Apia Park, as a packed house witnessed a three hour celebration of Samoan culture.

And there was never any doubt who would get the loudest cheer from the Apia crowd.

19 year-old weightlifter Feagaiga Stowers had the honour of leading the home nation onto the field as flag bearer.

Samoa are the only country competing in all 27 sports over the next two weeks, with the Games' biggest delegation of 506 athletes in stark contrast to the Marshall Islands, with just 28.

The Blues edged the Queensland Reds 34-29 in Apia on Friday but the 8000-capacity stadium was less than half-full, prompting criticism on social media that ticket prices were too expensive.

Outspoken former Samoa international Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu told New Zealand radio that the Blues management were "ignorant" and "arrogant" in their approach to the game in the developing country.