Manusina & Manu Samoa Sevens Coaches announced

Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 08 November 2024 – Lakapi Samoa today announced the long awaited appointment of  Manu Samoa and Manusina Sevens Head Coaches with only a few weeks to the Oceania 7s in December 2024.

Matamua Upati Junior Salima is the new Manu Samoa Sevens Head Coach.

But Lakapi Samoa says his appointment “is specifically for the Oceania 7s 2024. After the tournament, his performance will be reviewed for the Lakapi Samoa Board to decide on the future direction of the National Sevens Program.”

“We congratulate Matamua on his appointment to lead our Manu Samoa Sevens in the Oceania 7s 2024. We wish him well as he embarks on taking our team back up and ensure we can qualify for the Challenger Series 2025,” said Lakapi Samoa Chief Executive Officer, Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai.

Matamua has an uphill challenge following the recent relegation of the Manu Samoa 7s from the World Sevens Series.

Matamua Upati Junior Salima faces an uphill battle following the recent relegation of Manu Samoa from the World Sevens circuit.

Matamua Upati Junior Salima, a college teacher by profession and a World Rugby Accredited Level 3 Coach, has served as the Head Coach for both the Tama Samoa 7s (Under 18) and Tama Uli 7s teams. Under his leadership, Tama Uli became a dominant force in the local 7s series, winning the Vodafone Samoa National Sevens Series championship for three consecutive years, from 2017 to 2019.

Matamua has led Tama Uli to victory in every major competition on the island from 2014 to 2024, most recently claiming the Vodafone Iva Savaii 7s title. His notable coaching achievements include victories in the Marist Samoa International Sevens in 2022, the 60th Vodafone Samoa Independence International 7s in 2022, the Auckland Samoa International 7s in 2022, and the Auckland Marist Samoa International Sevens in 2023.

In 2022, he guided Tama Uli to a remarkable 34-match winning streak, securing six consecutive cup championships. Recently, he led the Church College of Vaiola Under-18 team to victory in the National Schools Sevens Championship in 2024.

As a former Development Officer for Lakapi Samoa, Matamua played a key role in uncovering exceptional talent, particularly from Savai’i, with many of his protégés going on to represent Samoa at the international level. He hails from Salelologa, Tapueleele, Vaiola and Falealupo, is married, and has four children

Filoi Fatima Eneliko is the new Manusina Head Coach.

On the Women’s Sevens Rugby, Lakapi Samoa has appointed Filoi Fatima Eneliko as the new Head Coach of the Manusina Sevens team for the upcoming Oceania 7s in December 2024.

Filoi Eneliko, is a former Manusina and Manusina 7s player and currently serves as the Academy Manager for Women’s Rugby at Lakapi Samoa and the Assistant Backs Coach for the Manusina team, which narrowly missed the chance to win the WXV3 tournament on points differential and also to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

“We are thrilled to announce Filoi’s appointment to lead our Manusina Sevens team at the Oceania 7s 2024. We have full confidence in her leadership as she guides the team towards securing a spot in the Challenger Series 2025.” stated Faleomavaega.

Filoi’s appointment follows the Manusina 7s’ recent setback in their attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics. She has been specifically selected as Head Coach for the Oceania 7s 2024. After the tournament, a performance review panel will assess her leadership, with recommendations presented to the Board to shape the future direction of the Women’s National Sevens Program.

Expressing her gratitude, Filoi stated, “I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead our Manusina 7s and continue serving our country. I am fully committed to giving my best in this tournament and striving for qualification as a non-Core team for the World Sevens Challenger Series in 2025.”

Filoi hails from Sinamoga and Taufusi, and is a World Rugby Accredited Level 3 Coach.

In 2021, she made history as the first female to lead the Upolu Men’s team as Head Coach in the Lakapi Samoa High Performance Lakapi Championship tournament. Additionally, she spent two years as the Backs Coach for the Brumbies Women’s team in the Super W Competition. Filoi also made a significant impact as the first female Head Coach of the St. Joseph’s First XV, which won the championship in 2014. Outside of rugby, she represented Samoa in Touch Rugby, earning Gold Medals in the Women’s Mixed Division at the Pacific Games in 2007, 2015, and 2019.