Fiji v Samoa Tickets - Rugby World Cup Tickets

The Fiji national rugby union team is one of the strongest national rugby union teams of the world, and the third-strongest from Oceania, even still as a second tier nation. It is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked ninth in the world by the IRB as of 23 March 2009. Despite this low rating in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Fiji defeated Wales 38-31 to claim a quarter final spot (theoretically placing them in the top 8 teams in the world) and proceeded to give eventual winners South Africa a scare eventually going down 37-20.
Fiji is one of the few countries where rugby union is the main sport. There are approximately 80,000 registered players from a total population of around 950,000. One of the problems for Fiji is simply getting their players to play for the country as many have contracts in Europe or with Super 14 teams where the money is far more rewarding. The repatriated salaries of its overseas stars have become an important part of some local economies. In addition a significant number of players eligible to play for Fiji end up representing Australia or New Zealand; two notable examples are the Fiji-born, but New Zealand-raised, cousins and All Blacks Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu and Wallabies Wing Lote Tuqiri. Fiji has won the most Pacific Tri-Nations Championships of the three participating teams. The cibi war dance is performed by the Fiji rugby team before each Test match. It has been used on the rugby field since 1939, though its origins date back to the country's warring times with its Pacific neighbours.
The Samoa national rugby union team is the representative side of Samoa in international rugby union. In Samoa, they are often called Manu Samoa, in honour of a famous Samoan warrior, and from 1924 to 1997 competed as Western Samoa. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. They were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga.They are ranked 12th in the world. They have recently been bankrolled by millionaire Sir Michael Fay, one of New Zealand's wealthiest men.
Rugby was introduced to Samoa in the early 1920s and a governing body was soon formed. The first international was played as Western Samoa against Fiji in August 1924. Along with Tonga, these nations would meet regularly and eventually contest competitions such as the Pacific Tri-Nations - with Western Samoa winning the first of these. Samoa have been to every Rugby World Cup since the 1991 tournament. That tournament, along with the 1995 competition saw them make the quarterfinals.
Under their new coach, the All Blacks legend Michael Jones (himself of Samoan descent and a Samoan international), Samoa worked hard to create a side able to compete effectively in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, where they were grouped with England, South Africa, Tonga and the USA. However, Samoa had a dismal World Cup campaign, defeating only the USA and finishing fourth in their group, which forced them to go through qualifying for the 2011 World Cup. The team however comfortably qualified with 188-19 aggregate win over Papua New Guinea. Jones resigned immediately after the World Cup; in January 2008, Niko Palamo, formerly the country's under-19 and sevens coach, was named as his replacement. He would later be replaced by former sevens coach Titimaea "Dicky" Tafua in 2009.
Manu Samoa play in blue and white uniforms. They do not train on Sundays because many of the team are devout Christians.
This time in year 2011 Fiji and Samoa will take on each other.
Fiji v Samoa Tickets - Rugby World Cup Tickets - 175£
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