Samoa RWC squad down Fiji, New Zealand shine at Singapore Rugby Sevens

At the Singapore Rugby Sevens on Saturday, defending champions Fiji unexpectedly lost to the Samoa RWC squad, while series leaders New Zealand made a strong statement by defeating Australia and South Africa. Rugby World Cup 2023 fans can buy Samoa Rugby World Cup Tickets from our website.

Fiji had prevailed over their fellow Pacific islanders in the previous 15 games, but Samoa's Rugby World Cup team 28-7 victory ended that skid thanks in large part to two tries from Paul Scanlan. The Samoa RWC squad finished first in Pool B with a perfect record after wins over Spain and Canada.

After Samoa's RWC team victory over Fiji, coach Brian Lima remarked, "It's a significant win and it's excellent for the players because it improves our confidence. It had been a while since we had defeated Fiji. The game against them is always challenging for us because they are an old adversary, but the boys were upbeat today. They successfully kept hold of the ball, maintained their position, and eventually scored.

The Samoa RWC squad qualified for the quarterfinals

Samoa RWC squad qualified for the quarterfinals against Uruguay, who overcame the USA 24-21 to advance to the semifinals for just the second time this year. The winners of Pool C—France, who defeated Kenya and Uruguay and tied the United States—will face the Fijians.

Despite being placed in a difficult Pool A, New Zealand won all three of their games, dominating Hong Kong 47-0, Australia 24-12, and South Africa 12-7 after coming from behind. On Sunday, the Sevens All Blacks will play Great Britain in the quarterfinals, while Australia will play Argentina. The All Blacks finished second in their pool after defeating South Africa 19-0.

Interception in the last second

After Macros Moneta made a last-second interception to score the winning try in a 19-17 victory over Great Britain, Argentina took first place in Pool D. The top four teams automatically join hosts France in the 2024 Games in Paris as part of this year's schedule, which still has two stops left after Singapore.

New Zealand is in first place with 142 points after eight tournaments, followed by Argentina with 121, Fiji with 113, and France with 112. Fifth place will also earn a qualifying spot if France finishes in the top four. With South Africa, Australia, and Samoa Rugby World Cup players only five points apart, that position is up for grabs.

Samoa RWC squad finalist Ligi Sao extends his stay in Super League

Powerhouse Ligi from Samoa Sao has extended his relationship with Hull FC by two more years, keeping him with the Black and Whites through at least the end of 2025. The 30-year-old forward joined Hull ahead of the 2020 season after leaving the NRL, and his contract was slated to expire at the end of the current campaign. Since then, he has made 70 appearances for Hull.

Sao was the third player to play in a World Cup final while representing Hull FC last autumn when his Samoa RWC squad lost to Australia at Old Trafford. Sao expressed his gratitude for the chance to stay in Hull for a further two years with his family, who enjoy this part of England very much.

Although the past few years have been difficult for us, that experience has brought us closer as a group. If we can change for the better and look forward to a promising future, it will mean the world to us.

I feel like I have a tremendous duty to mentor some of the younger boys who are coming up, and it's evident that the club places a lot of importance on that as we look to the future. I want to make sure that I lead by example on the pitch.

Hull boss delighted to see Ligi Sao's new deal

Tony Smith, the head coach of Hull FC, continued, "At 30, Ligi is one of the more experienced players in our group, and we believe his knowledge will be very helpful going forward. He's terrific at mentoring some of the younger players in our group, which is crucial for their growth. Rugby World Cup fans can buy RWC 2023 Tickets from our website.