Advertisement
The Manu Samoa squad for the first tests of 2025 has been confirmed by new Head Coach Tusi Pisi as they prepare to face Scotland and then head into the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (PNC), with loose forward Theo McFarland confirmed as captain. None of their home tests will be played in Samoa following an absence of test match rugby since September last year.
The Manu Samoa squad for the first tests of 2025 has been confirmed by new Head Coach Tusi Pisi as they prepare to face Scotland and then head into the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (PNC), with loose forward Theo McFarland confirmed as captain. None of their home tests will be played in Samoa following an absence of test match rugby since September last year.
The team are currently 14th according to the current World Rugby rankings and still need to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2027, so it's a massive test year for the Pacific island nation.
Pisi, who is a former national team player and who has club experience from playing in Europe, Japan and New Zealand, took over the national team head coach role in April 2025, replacing Mahonri Schwalger after coaching in Japan.
He had also been a member of the Manu Samoa coaching team at the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup and said of the squad for 2025, “I have chosen warriors who understand the weight of the jersey. Our selection blends experience with fresh talent – players, who rise to the challenge of representing our people.”
Pisi has selected as many as 11 uncapped players, and most notable are the inclusion of Niko Jones, son of All Black Michael Jones, and Jacob Umaga, son of former Samoa international Mike Umaga, who are both in line for debuts this year.
Niko Jones has featured for Moana Pasifika, Auckland and San Diego Legion & Old Glory in the MLR, and previously represented New Zealand Sevens. He is also US-eligible but has opted for Samoa.
Jacob Umaga has one cap for England from 2021 and is a key part of the Benetton side in the United Rugby Championship. He is eligible for Samoa via World Rugby’s birthright transfer.
The 39-man squad includes players who are active in seven countries, and some of the inclusions are former Northampton Saints scrumhalf Connor Tupai, now playing in Major League Rugby (MLR) - he is one of several players from the competition to be selected for Samoa, while five others have previous MLR experience.
Of those currently plying their trade in the MLR are; Houston hooker Pita Anae-Ah Sue, San Diego Legion scrumhalf Connor Tupai (both potential test debuts), Utah pairing Aki Seiuli and D’Angelo Leuila, Seattle duo Olajuwon Noa and Rodney Iona, and NOLA Gold player Jonah Mau’u.
D’Angelo Leuila is the most-capped Samoa player in the squad with 27 tests to date, while former USA Eagles prop Titi Lamositele is recalled after missing out on Rugby World Cup 2023 selection.
Samoa had brought back a host of newly eligible players for RWC 2023, including former All Blacks Steven Luatua and Liam Sopoaga as well as former Australia playmaker Christian Leali’ifano.
Three players from each of the Premiership (Titi Lamositele - Harlequins, Iakopo Mapu - Northampton Saints, & Theo McFarland - Saracens), French Top 14 (Luteru Tolai - Biarritz, Michael Ala’alatoa - Clermont Auvergne, & Duncan Paia’aua - Toulon), and Japan Rugby League One (Ben Nee-Nee - Kamaishi Seawaves, Taleni Seu - Toyota Shuttles, and Henry Taefu - Osaka Red Hurricanes) are also included.
Some absentees include Moana Pasifika’s Miracle Fai’ilagi and Jonathan Taumateine, as well as Fred Tuilagi, who plays for the Bedford Blues in the RFU Championship. Sama Malolo (who played with Moana this past year) is one of four players ruled out through injury. The others are Moana flanker Alamanda Motuga and France-based midfield pair Tumua Manu and UJ Seuteni.
In July, Lakapi Samoa, rugby’s governing body in the Pacific Island nation, sent a letter to World Rugby saying they were at risk of bankruptcy if their northern hemisphere tour went ahead.
They have not played any tests since the end of the PNC 2024 and did not partake in the end-of-year international tours due to financial issues at the Samoa Rugby Union. They were forced to withdraw from three scheduled tests, which included matches against Spain and Portugal on tour.
The union's board chair, former Prime Minister Tu'ilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegao, cited "the lack of sponsorships" and in his letter to then World Rugby chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont, proposed to explore targeted initiatives and enhanced financial assistance and more robust support structures.
Elsewhere, the Samoan Men’s 7s team were relegated from the HSBC World SVNS Series and the U20S competing at the World Rugby Trophy tournament in Scotland lost 123–15 to Scotland and 81–7 to Japan before beating Hong Kong China 19–39 in their final match.
Towards the end of the year, Head Coach Mahonri Schwalger was embroiled in criminal charges against, was suspended, and he resigned from his role in January 2025.
In December, the Lakapi Samoa Board appointed Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea’i, who stepped down after nine years at the helm.
We all hope that whatever issues transpired have been resolved and that a nation that has brought us so many great players and rugby memories can focus on the task at hand.
Pisi said, “With our first Test against Scotland, we respect them, but we play for Samoa. And with the Pacific Nations Cup, it becomes our battlefield for World Cup qualification where every tackle, every scrum, and every point is a step towards Australia 2027.”
Samoa face Scotland at Eden Park in New Zealand on 18 July before the crucial Pacific Nations Cup, which acts as their pathway to the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. The competition features fellow Pacific nations Tonga and Fiji, both of which Samoa will play, before the tournament’s knockout stages in the USA.
The best three teams of the Pacific Nations Cup 2025, other than already-qualified Fiji and Japan, will qualify for RWC Australia 2027, while the sixth-place team will join the South America/Pacific Play-off.
In last year’s PNC, Samoa beat Tonga, lost to Fiji and Japan, and beat the USA to third place overall. They also beat Italy 33-25, which was their first victory against a tier 1 nation since 2014, and beat Spain 34-30 before the PNC took place.
The opening clash against Scotland, who are ranked 7th, is the first time the two sides have played against each other was in 2019, when Scotland won 34-0 during the Rugby World Cup.
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland squad for the 2025 Skyscanner Pacific Tour includes matches against Maori All Blacks, Fiji and Samoa, and he has selected Rory Darge as captain.
Samoa's PNC opener is a month later against lower-ranked Tonga (19th) on August 23rd in Tonga, before playing defending PNC champions Fiji on Saturday, 6 September in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Samoa
Japan
Tonga
Samoa
SpainLoosehead Prop
Titi Lamositele (Harlequins, UK) 1 cap
Aki Seiuli (Utah Warriors, MLR) 8 caps
Kaynan Siteine-Tua (Western Sydney Two Blues, AU) uncapped
Hooker
Pita Anae-Ah Sue (Houston SaberCats, MLR) uncapped
Leif Schwencke (Linton Lions) uncapped
Luteru Tolai (Biarritz, FR) 6 caps
Tighthead Prop
Michael Ala’alatoa (Clermont Auvergne, FR) 18 caps
Bradley Amituanai (Waratahs, AU) uncapped
Marco Fepulea’i (Colomiers, FR) 5 caps
Tietie Tuimauga (Montauban, FR) 8 caps
Second Row
Michael Curry (Moana Pasifika) 8 caps
Ben Nee-Nee (Kamaishi Seawaves, JP) 9 caps
Sam Slade (Moana Pasifika) 11 caps
Back Row
Malaesaili Elato (Apia Marist) uncapped
Niko Jones (Waitemata, NZ) uncapped
Iakopo Mapu (Northampton Saints, UK) 7 caps
Jonah Mau’u (NOLA Gold, MLR) 3 caps
Theo McFarland (capt., Saracens, UK) 17 caps
Olajuwon Noa (Seattle Seawolves, MLR) 5 caps
Taleni Seu (Toyota Shuttles, JP) 9 caps
Scrumhalf
Joel Lam (Canterbury, NZ) uncapped
Melani Matavao (Moana Pasifika) 21 caps
Connor Tupai (San Diego Legion, MLR) uncapped)
Flyhalf
Rodney Iona (Seattle Seawolves, MLR) 10 caps
D’Angelo Leuila (Utah Warriors, MLR) 27 caps
Jacob Umaga (Benetton Treviso, IT) uncapped
Centres
Afa Moleli (Ardmore Marist, NZ) 5 caps
Melani Nanai (Capilano, CA) 2 caps
Duncan Paia’aua (Toulon, FR) 12 caps
Henry Taefu (Osaka Red Hurricanes, JP) 10 caps
Outside Backs
Elisapeta Alofipo (Hunter Wildfires, AU) 2 caps
Tomaso Alosio (Ardmore Marist, NZ) 8 caps
Taunu’u Niulevaea (Samoa Sevens) uncapped
Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (Western Sydney Two Blues, AU) uncapped
Tuna Tuitama (Moana Pasifika) 4 caps