Heartland XV coach reflects on emotional return to Sāmoa

The New Zealand Heartland XV Assistant coach, Aleni Feagaiga, says their recent tour in Sāmoa was a deeply personal moment, as he returned to his birthplace and led a group of players whose Pacific heritage shaped their time there.

The side, selected from the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, travelled to Sāmoa in early November for a two-match series against the President’s XV and the Sāmoa XV, winning both games 31-14 in humid conditions of Apia.

The squad, made up of players from provincial unions across rural Aotearoa, assembled on 29 October for the tour, which also offered an opportunity for players to reconnect with their Pacific heritage and experience village life and cultural practices firsthand.

Speaking with Tuilagi William Leolahi on Pacific Huddle, Feagaiga, who was born in Sāmoa, says the tour carried emotional weight. He says returning home as part of a New Zealand national side was a powerful experience for him and the players who share Pacific heritage.

“A really cool experience, a massive opportunity. For myself being Sāmoan, being born in Sāmoa, I moved over with our family [and was] brought up in New Zealand. So to go back with the New Zealand team was massive,” Feagaiga says.

Feagaiga describes the Heartland XV as “one of the New Zealand teams in black” and that the Pacific influence within the team has become one of its greatest strengths.

He cites the leadership of senior Pasifika figures such as former Manu Sāmoa captain Kahn Fotuali'i, who served as vice-captain, as crucial.

“[Fotuali’i’s] unbelievable. I'm lucky enough to have Kahn play for my Heartland Provincial Union here at Horowhenua Kapiti. He played for the Foxton Rugby Club, who won our club competition. So I kind of got to see him firsthand in our environment and what he brings.”

“He is very much [a legend, and a ] true professional [in] how he is able to prepare his body. There was some commentary when he was selected in our team about why he was selected, he’s 43. But for those that know Kahn, he looks after his body really well.

“The week after we came back from Sāmoa, he went down to Queenstown and ran a marathon. He's such a gentleman of the game, someone who loves to give back. For our space in HK, he often spent time after training… with our halfbacks and young guys who wanted to learn off him.”

Listen to Aleni Feagaiga’s full interview below.

He says the squad selected enjoyed the chance to learn the Sāmoan language, visit villages, and understand the significance of local ceremonies.

“On one of the days of a community event we went to Vaimea Primary with some of the group and coaching group. Then we all went as a team out to Faleapuna to visit Kahn’s village and have a small ava ceremony there, then partake in a little bit of Kilikiti [Sāmoan cricket] with the local team.”

Feagaiga says the Sāmoa experience changed the players’ understanding of privilege and gratitude. He says while some players may complain about the resources available in New Zealand, seeing the deeper lack of it in the islands or other countries helps them “appreciate what we do have”.

“That was something that we had to make sure that we could adapt [to] regardless of the conditions. We said that if the other team is preparing in the same conditions, then it's good enough for us. The boys did a lot to embrace the culture, but also embrace whatever obstacles that came through with us.”

Looking ahead, Feagaiga says discussions are ongoing for Sāmoan representatives to tour New Zealand next year, which would strengthen the ties between the two rugby communities.

He hopes the relationship continues to grow, with Sāmoan coaches aiming to create more opportunities for local players.