Increasing participation in elite competitions at the club and provincial levels will add to the depth of rugby talent for national selection consideration.

That is the view of the Samoa Rugby Union [S.R.U.] High Performance General Manager, Seumanu Douglas Ngau Chun, as the code’s governing body announced the start of the Vodafone Samoa National Sevens Series in Savai’i next week.

“The more elite competitions we have at club and provincial level, the more chances we have of creating depth for our national selection,” he said in a statement issued by the S.R.U.

“This is a great opportunity to kick-off our National Sevens Series in Savai’i to showcase the skills and talent available in Savai’i. It's also a good chance for Savai’i Clubs to get quality game time with our top sevens clubs featured in leg one [of the tournament].”

The tournament will be played at both the Don Bosco field at Salelologa and Prince Edward Park at Iva on Day 1 [Friday 7 August] with the play-offs on Day 2 [Saturday 8 August] at the Don Bosco field. 

The S.R.U. Competitions Coordinator, Seiuli Salesa Seiuli, said there are many teams that joined the tournament but there are still places available for both men and women teams. 

The Vodafone Samoa National Sevens Series schedule is Round 1 will be in Savaii held at the Don Bosco Field Salelologa and Prince Edward Park in Iva. While Round 2 and 3 will be held at the A.C.P. Marist Stadium at Lotopa.

The registration fees are $300 tala per leg for a men’s team while a women’s team don't have to pay to register.

With state of emergency [S.O.E.] restrictions on sporting activities lifted, the SRU said their administration together with member unions will start planning on rolling out the national competitions.