Outspoken Samoan Rugby Star Slams The Hypocrisy Of "Old White Male Coaches" After Recent Sevens Appointment

Outspoken rugby star Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has fired up again, describing the appointment of a former New Zealand sevens boss as hypocritical compared with the Polynesian player drain from the Islands to New Zealand.

Fuimaono-Sapolu, who has often voiced his opinion regarding Polynesian issues in world rugby, believes international eligibility rules for Pacific Island players needs addressing before the likes of long-time NZ coach Sir Gordon Tietjens being named the new Samoan Rugby Sevens boss does.

"Tietjens coached New Zealand for 22 years … 22 years!," Fuimaono-Sapolu, who plays for the Coca-Cola Red Sparks in Japan, told Rugby Planet.

"And he can change countries and coach Samoa tomorrow, a country he has absolutely no connection to. But if a Samoan/Fijian kid plays one second for New Zealand, that kid cannot play for anyone else, even excluding the country of his/her birth and the birth countries of his/her parents."

"If old white male coaches are allowed to coach multiple countries they have no connection to, then Polynesian players should be allowed to play for multiple countries they do have a connection to.

"It really is such a pathetic, malicious, unconscionable rule on so many levels. Stop being so fragile. Change it already."

Sir Gordon coached New Zealand from 1994 to 2016 and is seen as a legendary in sevens coaching; but was slammed for New Zealand's poor display at sevens first appearance at the Rio Olympics earlier this year.

Fuimaono-Sapolu slamming the All Blacks two years ago for not touring the Pacific Islands. New Zealand finally played its first test in Samoa last year. Source: Youtube.

Fuimaono-Sapolu thinks the legendary Kiwi will struggle with Samoa.

"Children start rugby at four or five years old," he said. "Kids here (in Samoa) start competitive rugby at high school. High schools in New Zealand have state of the art facilities and more money than Manu Samoa.

"Our high schools use tree trunks for goalposts. Most players here have no boots. No ball. No mouthguard. Coaching in the Pacific requires far more depth in philosophy.

"Lets be honest, New Zealand pours more money into rugby than they do into child poverty. If he is successful with Samoa, then he can lay claim to being the greatest ever next to Ratu Peni Raiyani, and also Stephen Betham and Waisale Serevi, who coached Samoa and Fiji from under an organic coconut tree to World Series wins, without any money, heart rate monitors or mountain blast flavoured energy drinks."

During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Fuimaono-Sapolu captured headlines when he made a tweet comparing the tournament scheduling for smaller nations to that of slavery. The 35-year-old has also described the International Rugby Board (IRB) a "corporate hammer" and slammed the All Blacks for not touring the Islands.