Samoa’sFirst Female Referee wants more to Follow Her Footsteps

by Taimalieutu Fuatino Muliagatele-Ah Wai

Samoa’s first ever female international rugby referee Avi’i Fa’alupega has been creating history in the game for the past few years, setting the benchmark high for aspiring young Samoan women referees.

She begun her journey in 2008 as a teacher, but her first match as an official came in 2016 when she was appointed to her first international as a referee for an Oceania Sevens tournament. She also officiated the historic Rugby World Cup qualification game between Tonga and Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby in February 2020.

Rugby runs in her blood; her father was a World Rugby match official, and her brother Mussolini played for the Manu Samoa Sevens team. “Support of my family is important,” she says, saying it was the reason why she got into refereeing. She believes support from family will help more young women step forward to take up the challenge and break down barriers.

On being recognized by SASNOC as the female high-end contributor to Sports in Samoa ahead of the 2023 Samoa Games, Avi’i reflected on her journey. “I was born and raised in the small village of Faletagaloa in Safune, Savaii. My humble journey is the key to my success,” she says. “Everything that I’ve encountered in life have impacted the decisions that I’ve made and the sacrifices that I’ve been through to become the person I am today. Being grateful is one aspect of life that is very special to me, because it keeps me going and working hard to the things I’ve wanted to achieve in life and more importantly to service. As a woman competing against men in the refereeing career, the key is to run the extra mile and enjoy it.”

Avi’i has officiated plenty of women’s and men’s games and now the next challenge is to being appointed an official for the women’s sevens world series which is her goal.