Sevens sensation

Sports

By Samisoni Kakaivalu

IT was dubbed the Battle of the Pacific, though on totally alien ground and hundreds of miles from home.

Victor Western Samoa, for so long the nearly-men at the Cathay Pacific Hongkongßank Sevens in Hong Kong, heralded another milestone in their new rugby era with a no-booze, no-party tour law.

The Samoans, still smarting from their commendable performance in the 1991 World Cup, ended a three-year reign by Pacific neighbours Fiji at the Hong Kong government stadium on March 27 with a sweet 14-12 win.

It was their first Cup win at the 18-year-old sevens, regarded for long as the unofficial world rugby sevens cham

pionship.

It marked a total domination by the Pacific islanders on this abbreviated version of rugby. • Fiji and Western Samoa met for the Cup finals, the first time two island countries of the South Pacific had done sq ‘ • Tonga, won the second-tier Plate competition for a record fifth time beating the enterprising Italians 38-28. • Papua New Guinea were just pipped 17-14 by defending champions Romania for the third-tier Bowls, after leading 14-0 at halftime.

“Although the Fijians were beaten, the Cup remains in the South Pacific and it shows just how strong these South Pacific islanders are when it comes to sevens ru gby, observed veteran radio commentator Bill McLaren.

Scotland sevens coach John Jefferey,

who spent some time with the Scots in Suva during the Fiji International Sevens last month, said the depth of rugby sevens know-how and skill among South Pacific ts.anders - tremendo^ Spend some time with them and watch them play and vou can see how far ahead they are in sevens,” Jefferey said. « Even Scotland? home of the seven s, need a couple more years to catc h U p wkh Fi - we saw at the Suva tournament.”

Xhe only other occasion the Samoans j^ ad reached the Hong Kong Sevens finals was in 1979 when they were beaten 39.3 by Australia.

After years of playing in the shadows of Fiji at the Hong Kong tournament, Mlanu Samoa struck gold.

They matched Fiji try for try but kicked both conversions while the de fending champions managed to slot in

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only one in an otherwise tense and

icompromising final.

The Samoans had marched into the lal showdown buoyed by their 24-14 in over New Zealand in the semi-finals Fiji accounted for the other giant, jstralia, in the other qualifier.

The central figure during the short moan celebration after the finals was

undoubtedly “mum” Marina Schaafhausen, the team manageress.

She had been the strength behind the Western Samoan teams for the past five years, and boldly predicted a Samoan

victory when they arrived in Hong

Kong, fresh from winning the Canberra Sevens two weeks back.

Her no-nonsense disciplinarian atti tude on the team had finally paid off.

When the team left Apia in early March for the Canberra Sevens, Hong Kong and the World Cup, she imposed no late-nights, parties, booze and sex during the tour.

The mother of nine treats team members like her own children pocket money is rationed and the rules laid down to be rigidly adhered to.

She severely reprimands, and fines, anyone caught sneaking out for a quick beer or taking it easy at training.

She said after the after-match func tion, “We are very proud. To me it is a job well done, winning the most pres

tigious sevens event in the world, and we are now looking ahead.

“Prayer helped us a lot of people find it hard to believe.

“We prayed that we would go in and play good clean rugby. Winning is a bonus.”

The 56-year-old half-German and half-Samoan does not want to play up her own part in the success story. She is

publicity shy.

But she is very part of the Western Samoan game the Schaafhausen house is the unofficial rugby social centre where players, officials and spectators all stop by for a chat and a drink.

“I grew up loving rugby and most other sports,” she said.

“My dad loved rugby and I sort of followed him around. I play basketball, cricket, swim and ride horses as well.

“We have a lot of rugby clubs in Samoa and they are all supported well.

Everyone will be very proud that we won the Hong Kong Sevens.” □

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