new coach

Samoa Rugby Union urged to pick local 7s coach

Sir Gordon Tietjens resigned last month after three and a half years in charge. The Manu Sevens finished 13th, 10th and 6th in his three full seasons at the helm, and were languishing at 13th in the overall standings when the current campaign was suspended in March.

Stephen Betham led Samoa to the 2010 World Series title and believes it's time for a local coach to be given another crack at the top job.

Vogel named Lakers' head coach

Former Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic coach Vogel signed a multi-year contract, though terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The 45-year-old replaces Luke Walton, who left the Lakers in April after the NBA franchise missed the playoffs despite the arrival of LeBron James.

"I am very excited for this opportunity to join the Lakers, a prestigious organisation that I have long admired," Vogel said. "I look forward to coaching such phenomenal talent and bringing my strategic vision to the team."

Samoa Rugby confirms appointment of new Manu Samoa Coach

SRU Chief Executive Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai announced Steve’s appointment following the SRU Board’s endorsement. 

A statement said a five-person panel – chaired independently by Rev Siaosi Salesulu and made up of SRU and World Rugby representatives - recommended Steve’s appointment, following a contestable and rigorous process that attracted applications from all around the world.

Jaguares appoint Quesada

Quesada takes over from Mario Ledesma, who left to replace Daniel Hourcade as Argentina boss last week.

Capped 38 times by the Pumas, Quesada has left his role at Biarritz to return to his homeland with the Jaguares, who reached the Super Rugby play-offs under Ledesma this year.

"It was time to go back to my country and bring Argentine rugby all my experience," said Quesada, who guided Stade Francais to the Top 14 title in 2015 and the European Challenge Cup two years later.

Erasmus confirmed as Springboks coach

Erasmus has signed a six-year contract to the end of the 2023 World Cup in France and has been tasked with improving results after South Africa had slipped to sixth in the world rankings.

The decision to appoint Erasmus, who had been acting as director of rugby in South Africa, was widely expected. He will stay in both roles as he finally fulfils his ambition of coaching the side, having missed out two years ago to Coetzee.

Dogs looking for Pay day

However, the club hasn't taken long to move on, announcing Pay as their new coach two days after he was interviewed.

"The Bulldogs have a great history and tradition and I'm looking forward to the chance to work with a talented group of players, where respect and discipline will be the cornerstones of how we go about our business," Pay said in a club statement.

Pay, 48, takes on more than your standard head coach role as the club searches for on-field success - the last of their eight NRL titles was in 2004, after losing the 2012 and 2014 grand finals.

Tafua vows to restore trust within Samoan rugby

Fuimaono has been appointed to a second stint as head coach through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

He replaces Namulauulu Alama Ieremia, who resigned last month after the team suffered four straight defeat in the June/July test window to fall short of automatic qualification.

Fuimaono previously coached Samoa from 2009 until 2011 and said he had the experience to get the team moving forward again.

"I think the only problem at the moment is the trust between the coaches and the players," said the two-time national sevens coach.

The impossible job? The issues Alama Ieremia must address if Samoa is to succeed

Since missionaries first introduced the concept in the late 1800s, the game exploded in popularity and Polynesians in particular became obsessed with rugby as a pastime. Not just on the biggest islands of Tonga, Samoa or Fiji either; look through World Rugby's 100 top-seeded nations and you will see the likes of the Cook Islands, American Samoa, the Solomon's, Vanuatu, even Niue -- with its population of under 2,000 -- are present.