While watching the All Blacks British and Irish Lions game on Saturday evening was at first exciting and then not at the end, sports news on the home front still holds out reasons for hope for rugby fans.

First, that Manu Samoa gets to beat Fiji for a place in the World Cup this weekend.

If we lose, there are other conditional options after that which might give us other chances to sneak in but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and think beyond the weekend game and instead just focus on beating Fiji. 

We have to; nothing less will do.

Another reason for hope is amongst a front page story about new ideas for marketing our sports facilities.

The legacy from the then-named 2007 South Pacific Games are some magnificent playing fields and facilities some of which have been regularly used and maintained while others are in need of more than just minor upgrading.

What is exciting is that the ideas that have been put forward to get revenue sound as though they were suggested by somebody who actually knows something about management and marketing – as pertaining to sport and facilities.

There are a few no-brainers like collection of outstanding debts and the pre-payment of hiring sports fields - please tell us that was already happening!

Inevitably some of these outstanding debts will be written off but at least clear them up.

Tuilaepa showed some compassion and knowledge of how tough it is for sports organizations by also suggesting reducing the rental prices of buildings and fields.

Better surely to have a lower rental coming in and facilities being used rather than no rental and empty fields. 

Other ideas suggest a business brain was at work with the idea of naming rights of sports facilities such as they do overseas.

Fantastic!

Another great idea was to advertise our facilities overseas to other countries and organizations. This would go down particularly well during our mid year when other countries are limited as to what they can do by winter weather.

And on that note, here’s our idea.

Why doesn’t Samoa make a further tilt at being the Pacific’s sports hub and hold a Pacific Masters competition?

It could be held in one of the years before the World Masters, the next of which is in 2020.

There are so many advantages to staging a Masters Games. 

We already have the facilities;  we can pick the sports; teams that enter are not national teams; athletes and teams make their own booki8ngs of accommodation and transport; the age group of 35 and over are competitive but the fun factor is there and finally because these athletes usually have spare disposable income, Samoa can actually call ourselves the Sports Tourism centre of the Pacific.

Write and tell me what you think.