Samoa

Contesting their second and last pre-season fixture ahead of next weekend’s Asteron Life Super Rugby season opener against the Western Force, the Rebels dusted off the cobwebs with a clinical performance.

Fielding a near full-strength team, after the late withdrawal of Luke Jones following the birth of his first daughter in the morning, the Rebels scored 13 unanswered tries in front of 6,205 spectators.

Caretaker Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi addressed participants and highlighted the many challenges faced by youth in recent times.

Another four cases are for not satisfying the three years residential requirement under the law, and two for being convicted on a criminal offense.

These challenges were all mentioned before Chief Justice Patū Tiava’asu’e Falefatu Sapolu and Justice Lesatele Rapi Va’ai .

Seven of the applicants have applied for an order to disqualify a respondent as a candidate, while two applicants are applying for a declaratory order.

A Good Samaritan from Australia who chose to remain anonymous paid for their meals and their day out.

Samoa A take on the Super Rugby team in Melbourne, and are using the match as preparation for next months Pacific Rugby Challenge in Suva, which will feature A teams from Tonga, Fiji and Japan.

A Samoan team played the Western Force two years ago in a similar clash, going down 54-12 in Perth.

DJ Fong the son of candidate, Faumuina Asi Pauli Wayne Fong said, “the most disappointing thing to take out of this is the reflection it portrays on our society today,"

The billboard was bought in the hope of attracting voters to support Faumuina's bid to become a member of parliament.

Campaigning is expensive and a billboard is a cheaper way of reaching out to potential voters.

"There are better more legitimate ways to prove your point than resorting to vandalism," Fong said.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Justice senior Registrar Ve’a Fa’atasi.

The challenges are on the eligibility of the candidates through their services – monotaga – to the villages or districts they are standing for next month’s general elections.

The first case mentioned in Court today, was the challenge by Fiame Naomi Mata’afa against Fiaola Iosua Lole who is the only other candidate challenging Fiame for the Lotofaga constituency. The claim against Fiaola is based on a previous traffic conviction.

It will be headed by the first locally-appointed female Supreme Court judge, Justice Mata Tuatagaloa.

Speaking at the weekend launch, the chief justice Patu Falefatu Sapolu said it was not an easy task to solve the problem of alcohol related offending.

The claim according to Tautua Samoa shadow Minister of Finance, Afualo Dr. Wood Salele was only possible after Parliament was dissolved.

He said under section 32 and 33 of the Samoa Constitution, when a Cabinet Minister resigns before the end of his term, then the rest of the Cabinet must resign after the Parliament is dissolved, and allow the Head of State to select a Caretaker Government.

And twelve teams have registered for the eastern association.