Give yourself a sporting chance

By Marj Moore 28 April 2017, 12:00AM

There is just over a month to go before the Queensland Reds and the Auckland Blues will run out onto Apia Park.

Who would have thought that would be possible?

It’s the first-ever Super Rugby game in our country, a night game at that, and in the midst of our annual celebrations of Independence.

And from all accounts barring injuries there are a handful of Samoans in each side to add to the interest.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Just two years ago when Manu Samoa took on the All Blacks at Apia Park many of us believed that it was just a one-off move to counter all the criticism from our own people as well as a growing swell of sports commentators, other individuals and rugby fans from around the world.

And while we all accepted the game has changed dramatically and become professional , there was still an inherent unfairness in that we were seen to be a supplier of amazingly, talented players but were undeserving of a share of the wonderful game being played in our own country.

But times are slowly changing and with the long overdue recognition of the contribution Pacific nations have made to Super Rugby, it is game on.

The platform for this happening was set by the Chiefs and Crusaders Super Rugby game played in Fiji last year.

With that success, it opened the door for a return match in Fiji this year of both those teams and our own clash of the colours during a time when our population will be swelled by visitors coming for the annual Independence celebrations.

Although the Observer is already a media sponsor for the Blues-Reds game we wanted to go a little further and illustrate that team spirit of rugby by working with other partners in the business community.

The result is a competition in partnership with Eveni Pacific, Taumeasina Island Resort and Sheraton Aggie Grey’s Hotel and Bungalows. 

And again in keeping with the part that luck often plays in sport, the winning entries will be a random draw so all you need to do is to be in to win.

As well as each of the two winners gaining two tickets to the game and being dressed in Eveni elei outfits, there will be breakfast provided by our two top hotels where you will meet players from the team you will be cheering for.

The Blues and Reds management teams are excited about the competition and we hope you are too. 

We particularly hope that some of the younger rugby fans will enter the competition to give themselves a chance to meet players up close that they would only normally see on a TV screen.

So the entry forms are simply the poster page taken from a Samoa Observer newspaper, (see page 23) the boxes for your entries are at EveniSport and the Samoa Observer town office, put in as many entries as you would like, and the best of luck!

By Marj Moore 28 April 2017, 12:00AM
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