Twenty-three debutantes have been selected in the Manu Sina rugby squad to contest the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship in Fiji later this month.
Samoa haven't played a test match since finishing 11th at the Women's Rugby World Cup four years ago and were denied the chance to qualify for last year's event because they did not have a local women's competition at the time.
The Manu Sina last played a test in 2014. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Head coach Ramsey Tomokino said after four years in the international wilderness this tournament signals is a new beginning for the Manu Sina.
"For us it's a rebuild, it's a restart, a reset/refresh and obviously we could have probably picked the majority of this team out of the Farah Palmer Cup (provincial competition in New Zealand) but being a New Zealand Samoan or Australian Samoan you are blessed with being able to have two bites at the cherry in terms of trying to get to an international tournament," he said.
"We've got to allow the girls to have the opportunity to be able to do that but we love it when those that say 'Hey look, I'm ready to represent Samoa and that's what I want to do'."
Manu Sina coach Ramsey Tomokino issues instructions during a training session in Auckland. Photo: Supplied/Nick Bakulich
There are no locally-based players in the 26-strong squad, with 21 playing their rugby in New Zealand and the other five in Australia but Tomokino said that was a matter of circumstance.
"A lot of the key girls that probably might have been available are playing in the [Oceania] Sevens competition [next weekend] and as the game grows and more opportunity [comes] then we will be inclusive of local girls in Samoa and obviously the best ones out there," he said.
"There's certainly some good girls there but, like I said, they'll be involved in the sevens and I've got no doubt in my mind there will be people saying 'where's our local girls?' - as we always do - but at this stage it's just we need to get a team out there.
"We need to get runs on the board and we need to put our best foot forward and once we can show we can do this then a whole lot of opportunities are going to come."
Manu Sina players are put through their paces. Photo: Supplied/Nick Bakulich
Only three players in the squad have prior experience with the Manu Sina fifteen-a-side team: Forty-one-year-old Lorina Papali'i, who featured at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, while Rita Tau and Cynthia Apineru took part in the 2014 event.
Papali'i, Aieshaleigh Smalley and Sui Pauaraiasa were also a part of the New Zealand Warriors inaugural season in the National Rugby League Women's Premiership, with the Kiwi Ferns internationals switching codes.
Lorina Papali'i and Aieshaleigh Smalley played for the New Zealand Warriors in the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Oceania Rugby Women's Championship is scheduled to kick-off on November 16 with Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga playing three round-robin games over nine days.
Ramsey Tomokino said with the Oceania tournament set to become an annual affair and promising talks about involving teams from Asia in the future it's an exciting time for the women's game.
"It's a massive step forward and kudos to Oceania Rugby and obviously World Rugby for wanting to drive the women's programme," he said.
"We've gone from zero test matches and we're going to have three in the space of (nine) days that we're in Fiji for and to put that into perspective one of our most capped Manu Sina players, who's not in this team, has played ten test matches over a span of a number of years and some of these ladies are going to get the opportunity to do three test matches in one year."
Fiji defeated Papua New Guinea in the 2016 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship. Photo: Oceania Rugby
Manu Sina squad:
Aiesha Smalley, Alafou Fatu Sataoa, Billy-Jean Tuavale Ale, Brittany Le'aua'nae, Brooke Tauaneai, Cynthia Apineru, Inga Timani, Jacqui Aiono, Jennifer Simati, Josephine Falesita, Lorina Papalii, Luisa Gago, Lumepa Maiava, Marilyn Live, Mary-Lee Sa'u, Moega Wright, Nina Foaese, Osooso Feaunati, Rita Tau, Ruth Vae, Sieni Mose, Sieni Tusi Misi, Sui Pauaraisa, Taylah Hodson-Tomokino, Tuiala To'o, Viviena Hingano.
Non Traveling Reserve: Hayley Pilato.
