Manu Sāmoa's World Cup path protected but key rugby leadership questions remain

Manu Sāmoa's path to the 2027 Rugby World Cup has been protected but questions remain over who will actually run the national team as the country’s rugby leadership dispute enters a new phase.

Under a temporary agreement between World Rugby, the Sāmoa government, Lakapi Sāmoa and the Sāmoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, responsibility for the national high-performance programmes will move to SASNOC.

But the details of the handover are still unclear.

Tuala Matthew Vaea, SASNOC chief executive, responding to PMN News from Dakar, Senegal, says any public statement on the agreement is subject to a Board meeting and subsequent approval based on Executive Board decisions.

He did not say whether the handover has started or when the stewardship group that will oversee the programmes will be appointed.

That leaves key questions for Manu Sāmoa: who will make coaching and selection decisions, when will SASNOC formally take charge, and how long will the interim arrangement remain in place?

Manu Sāmoa players train in England ahead of their World Rugby Nations Cup clash against Zimbabwe in Wakefield on 7 November, as new interim arrangements take effect for the administration of Sāmoa's national rugby programmes. Photo/Manu Sāmoa

What is clear is that the national teams can continue competing internationally.

The agreement protects Sāmoa’s participation at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, as well as the World Rugby Nations Cup, WXV Global Series Challenger and international sevens competitions.

World Rugby chairman Dr Brett Robinson welcomed the agreement after meeting with Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt in Apia last week.

World Rugby chairman Dr Brett Robinson presents Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt with an official 2027 Rugby World Cup ball during their meeting in Sāmoa’s Cabinet chambers. Photo/Government of Sāmoa

"I'm so grateful that we have finally come to a solution of trying to work through things, but not impact on the athletes," he said.

Under the new arrangement, Lakapi Sāmoa will step back from the World Rugby Council but keep its membership of the international governing body.

Its Council self-suspension will remain while two reviews are carried out: a Sāmoan-led independent review of rugby governance and a separate World Rugby assessment of Lakapi Sāmoa's compliance with membership requirements.

Reinstatement to the World Rugby Council would require a formal request from Lakapi Sāmoa to World Rugby's Executive Board followed by a recommendation to the Council.

The self-suspension itself does not remove Lakapi Sāmoa's World Rugby membership.

Lakapi Sāmoa chairman Namulauulu Sami Leota said protecting that membership was the priority.

A World Rugby delegation met with Lakapi Sāmoa executives during talks in Apia that led to interim arrangements for the administration of Sāmoa rugby. Photo/Lakapi Samoa

"One thing I was not going to risk was our membership," he told the Sāmoa Observer.

Namulauulu says Manu Sāmoa will continue competing under the Lakapi Sāmoa banner, under a signed memorandum of understanding.

However, the publicly released agreement does not say who signed the MOU or set out what responsibilities Lakapi Sāmoa will retain under the new structure.

The dispute has been building since the government withdrew recognition and funding from Lakapi Sāmoa in July, before formally recognising the rival Sāmoa Rugby Football Union in September.

Laaulialemalietoa has continued to say the government never intended to stop Manu Sāmoa from competing internationally and remains committed to supporting preparations for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Watch World Rugby Chairman Dr Brett Robinson meet with Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt and Cabinet below.

Domestic rugby will continue under the interim arrangements while SASNOC takes responsibility for the national high-performance programmes.

But there is no timeframe yet for either of the governance reviews.