The team embarked on a joint venture with the Don Bosco School yesterday in preparing, carrying and rowing the 40 oarsmen longboat \u2013 fautasi<\/em> at Mulinuu that is symbolic of a team being of one heart.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, we must learn how to become a team so we can sail together to achieve the one beat,\u201d Vaovasamanaia said.<\/p>\n As part of their preparations for the Rugby World Cup, 2023 he wanted his\u00a0team to experience the\u00a0fautasi\u00a0<\/em>rowing hence the request to Don Bosco to assist by allowing their boat and skipper to guide them through their training.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a village team but a country\u2019s team and for us to be successful, we need the country behind us,\u201d said the former Manu Samoa utility back.<\/p>\n Manu Samoa team and Don Bosco students carrying the fautasi<\/em> to sea.<\/p><\/div>\n Don Bosco skipper Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel then got into action and explained the significance of Manu Samoa synonymous as warriors, to the voyaging journey took by the ancestors many centuries before.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Manu Samoa journey is no different from that of ancestral voyaging only it has different playgrounds,\u201d the iconic female fautasi<\/em> skipper told the players.<\/p>\n \u201cFor voyaging, the weapon is the oar and for rugby, theirs is the ball,\u201d Vaimasenu\u2019u explained. \u201cBut the achievement for both weapons is realizing the dream, and for Manu Samoa\u2019s journey to the World up, the country and people will sail with you,\u201d said Vaimasenu\u2019u.<\/p>\n Excitement was in the air as the Manu Samoa team joined the students in lifting the longboat in a unison motion, then carried the boat to sea before they took their oars and headed out took their rowing places on the boat.<\/p>\n Before heading out to sea, the rowers are blessed by Father Vise.<\/p><\/div>\n Don Bosco principal Fonomaitu Mane Su\u2019a reminded Manu Samoa that \u201ctraining with the ball is quite different from training with the oar.\u201d This was evident when the players struggled to find timing and balance in order to row in unison and move the longboat forward.<\/p>\n \u201cDon Bosco\u2019s consistent placing in any fautasi<\/em> race is either the first or second place and the message to you is to put your hearts into your performance,\u201d Fonomaitu told the players with oars ready.<\/p>\n The oars are much heavier than the ball and compared to the small physical size of the students that rowed the boat, it was far from the physique and sizes of the Manu Samoa team.<\/p>\n After the blessing, the Manu Samoa team are ready with oars in hand.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not your physical size, but your heart as with Don Bosco\u2019s motto \u2013 One Beat,\u201d said Fonomaitu. \u201cIt is crucial that you\u2019re of one heart; from the management to the players.\u201d<\/p>\n In blessing the event, Father Vise urged the Manu Samoa players not to be intimidated by any teams they will be up against and to have faith in God.<\/p>\n Prime Minister wishes Manu Samoa well \u201cI wish you all the best and pray for your safety, first and foremost, and may you have a successful campaign. Win or lose, you are our team,\u201d said Fiame.<\/p>\n She said Sports are very important to the development of a country and Manu Samoa fits significantly into the profile of sports development.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure I don\u2019t need to tell you where rugby is at, where The Manu is at, but that is our joint endeavour – to build sports in general and also rugby which is a reflection on sports for Samoa,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The Manu Samoa team is in Samoa and will have Pre-Rugby World Cup tests with Tonga and Fiji later this month, tests with Japan and Ireland in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup in France from 8 September to 28 October 2023.<\/p>\n Finding unison out in the open sea.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Story & Photos by Lagi Keresoma APIA, SAMOA 5 JULY 2023: The Manu Samoa Head coach, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has urged his team to be of one heart, one beat and sail together to achieve the best for Samoa in its upcoming matches and ultimately, the World Cup. The team embarked on a joint venture […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[190],"tags":[59,2730,2726,2727,2728,2729],"class_list":["post-18352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-featured","tag-lead-up-to-the-world-cup-in-france","tag-manu-samoa-rowing-the-fautasi","tag-one-beat","tag-one-heart","tag-skipper-vaimasenuu-zita-martel"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Manu](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/talamua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Manu-Samoa-carrying-fautasi.jpg?resize=740%2C417&ssl=1\")
![\"Manu](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/talamua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Manu-Samoa-blessing.jpg?resize=740%2C390&ssl=1\")
![\"Manu](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/talamua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Manu-Samoa-oars-in-hand.jpg?resize=740%2C377&ssl=1\")
\n<\/strong>In a reception for the team on Monday night, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa wished\u00a0the team well in their preparations and journey to the World Cup.<\/p>\n![\"Manu](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/talamua.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Manu-Samoa-fautasi1.jpg?resize=740%2C350&ssl=1\")