A large, colourful and noisy contingent of Samoan fans was out on the streets of Dunedin yesterday in a show of support for the islanders.
"We've been sending our prayers and love to the team," Manu Samoa Supporters Club committee member Tofilau Nina Kirifi-Alai said yesterday.
"They were struggling to fund themselves, so the prime minister [Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi] put a call out to all the Samoan community in New Zealand." The country of 183,000 had difficulty raising the 4.5 million tala ($NZ2.4 million) needed to attend the World Cup, Mrs Kirifi-Alai said.
"So, we've been fundraising for two months to help the team. We did a walkathon, from the Gardens to First Church, last Saturday, and we had a fiafia night - a coming together as a family - with the Samoan churches in South Dunedin.
"We have lots of students in Dunedin and a big Samoan community, as well.
A lot of these students are away from home studying, so it's good for them to have family around." There was plenty of support for the Blues in Dunedin yesterday, Mrs Kirifi-Alai said.
"We've had a great response. Everyone's been waving from windows and tooting their car horns and saying `Go Manu Samoa'.
"We've raised $7000 for the team, which we will present to the Samoan management in Auckland this weekend."
Manu Samoa started its World Cup campaign yesterday with a 49-12 win over Namibia in Rotorua. The Blues next play Wales in Hamilton on Sunday and then South Africa in Auckland on September 30.
If Samoa qualifies second in its group, as expected, it will face a quarterfinal match with Australia, which it sensationally beat 32-23 at the Sydney Olympic stadium in July.
