Manusina’s new era: Bella Milo leading Sāmoa women with pride and purpose

A new chapter has begun for Sāmoa’s national women’s rugby team, with Fuimaono Bella Milo stepping in to lead Manusina into its next phase.

The former international and Sāmoan representative returns to the programme with a clear vision - one built on culture, connection, and raising standards.

For Bella Milo, the appointment is more than just a coaching role. It is a full-circle moment.

“There’s pride, excitement, honour, but also nervousness and anxiousness,” she said.

After two decades away from playing, she now faces a new challenge: guiding the next generation from the sidelines.

Her journey back has taken her across the world.

Bella Milo in action for Auckland against Wellington in 2014: She returns to Sāmoa rugby, bringing global experience and a fresh vision for Manusina. Photo/Photosport/Anthony Au-Yeung

Since the 2014 Rugby World Cup in France, she has been based in Hong Kong, where she initially planned to stay for just a year.

That turned into a decade, shaped by family and opportunities in the women’s game.

Now, she brings that global experience back to Sāmoa.

"There’s pride, excitement, honour, but also nervousness and anxiousness” - Bella Milo on stepping into the head coach role. Photo/Photosport/Anthony Au-Yeung

One of her biggest focuses is building connections across a playing group spread worldwide.

With many players based in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, she describes the squad as a “satellite programme”.

That means communication is key along with honesty and shared responsibility between players and staff.

On the field, the message is just as clear. Manusina must lift their physical standards to compete with the world’s best.

Bella Milo believes Sāmoan players already have the natural skill and strength. The next step is improving fitness and conditioning to close the gap with top-tier nations.

Off the field, culture will sit at the heart of everything.

Fitness, culture, and connection sit at the heart of Bella Milo’s plan to lift Manusina on the world stage. Photo/World Rugby

She wants Fa’a Sāmoa values particularly service and respect, to shape the environment around the team.

Building on the work of previous coach Puna, who created a safe cultural space, Bella Milo aims to take it further by linking identity closely with performance.

Another challenge is consistency. Limited resources have often made it difficult to bring together the strongest squad for every campaign.

To address that, she is pushing for more players to compete in high-level competitions like Super W and New Zealand’s NPC, giving them the experience needed before coming into national camps.

Her coaching approach is grounded in her background in strength and conditioning, with a focus on doing the basics well while bringing in ideas from international systems both in attack and defence.

Looking ahead, the goals are clear.

Watch Fuimaono Bella Milo's full interview on Pacific Huddle below.

The immediate target is qualification for the 2029 Rugby World Cup, with qualifiers set for next year. Beyond that, the focus shifts to growing the player base and increasing the visibility of Manusina on the global stage.

A key part of that is telling the stories behind the players, many of whom balance rugby with everyday jobs in teaching, policing, and other fields.

It’s about showing what is possible for the next generation.

With Bella Milo now at the helm, Manusina’s new era is taking shape - one grounded in culture, driven by connection, and focused on competing with the best.