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Vailoa disciplined coming into tourney

Vailoa’s Rugby Team is joining this year’s American Samoa Rugby Union’s 2nd Annual TMO 7s Marist Pago Tournament, that just may have “Vaiala” written all over it. Vailoa, also known for its temper and bad sportsmanship, is coming into this year’s tournament with a “well disciplined team,” says team coach member Etemani Elisara.

 

“I am not ashamed to say it but, I know whenever you hear the name of Vailoa in rugby tournaments, it always includes fighting and bad sportsmanship. But this year, I can testify that this is a new beginning, new team for Vailoa, and these are some of the most disciplined players we’ve ever had,” said Elisara.

 

He added, “Our head coach is Fa’avi Aulelava and our trainer is Kelekolio, and we are all working with more than twenty players on our roster right now — still trying to decide who will be our best twelve players to pick, but that will be decided this Saturday.”

 

According to Elisara, Vailoa is into their second week of rugby practice. “We just started collecting some of our player two weeks before last, so as of now, we’re in week two of practice.”

 

He said, “Our goal is to have our players share a friendly bonding between other players from other villages. We are all one people under the Samoan title, and as Pacific islanders. Our kids are young this year, we have 16-year olds going up to 24 years of age, and the majority of them are all new to this tournament… so I believe in these guys… to be disciplined when the time comes to join in on the tournament.”

 

“Everyday we work with these guys,” Elisara said. “We’re still trying to get them use to the ball and the rules of the sport, on what to do and what not to do, everything is being explained and well taught by our coaching system. I know this sport is moving forward and we see a lot of bright futures of this sport coming out of American Samoa, so we are trying to put something in our players heads right now,  to know and believe that there is also a future in this game.”

 

In conclusion he wanted to send out acknowledgements to those who have supported their effort in preparing their sevens team, “I would firstly like to thank the people of this village for their strong support for the “tama fanau a Vailoa”, and we would also like to thank Reverend Faletoi Uso, he is the one that this team is managed under not, only that he is the father of this village, [he is] “le alo o Salamasina”.