1
Top 14 strugglers raid Moana Pasifika for Samoa hooker Sama Malolo
By Neil Fissler
Samoa hooker Sama Malolo has enjoyed a well-travelled career since signing an academy contract with the Western Force seven years ago, and he is set to tick off another country by moving to France next season.
Malolo, 26, who is playing for Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby Pacific, is tipped by Prime Rugby in France to be moving to the foot of the Pyrenees next season to sign for Perpignan, who have lost four of ten games this season.
The Auckland native has been lined up for a move to the Stade Aime Giral to replace another Samoan international, Seilala Lam, the cousin of Bristol Bears boss Pat Lam, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Perpignan have already confirmed the signings of Fijian back row Peceli Yato from Clermont Auvergne and South African fly-half Tristan Tedder, who made his first appearance of the season from Racing 92 on Sunday.
Former Australia under-20 international Malolo, who scored two tries in ten games last season, grew up in Sydney and qualifies for Samoa on ancestry grounds made 13 international appearances and scored four tries.
He bounced around the Melbourne Rebels, Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, the Utah Warriors and San Diego Legion in America, and then to the New South Wales Waratahs before walking away from the game completely in 2022 to work as a sign installer.
"I went through a massive mental and emotional ride that year, and I needed to just get away from it, reset. The hardest part was that there was no dream for me to hold on to," said Malolo. “So I didn't understand why I was going through so much mental and emotional adversity. There was no big picture. There was no target. I just felt like the emotional ride wasn't warranted,” he told ABC in Australia earlier this year.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Four England talking points after their Six Nations rout of Wales
3
What Steve Borthwick told Matt Sherratt following Wales debacle
4
England player ratings vs Wales | 2025 Six Nations
5
Latest Comments
My name is Amelia Jonathan from the United States, Using this opportunity to thank Dr. Ughulu is a grateful thing to me, for over years I have been sick with Hepatitis B disease, I have done a lot of things to get cured of my diseases and nothing has worked out. I have taken different types of medication for it , but it still doesn’t work for me. I still keep going for a check up so that the doctor will tell me my disease has be gone, because i’m taking my medicine with no result nothing has been cured, I have spent a lot of money just to get cure of Hepatitis B. until my old time friend came to my place and saw what am going through, and then direct me to contact Dr. Ughulu who is a very powerful man, which I did explain my problem to Dr. Ughulu and send me a herbal remedy bottle and explain to me how I should drink it. So I started to drink the herbal tea in one week that I drink the herbal tea. I went for a check up to check if I’m cured from Hepatitis B disease, then the nurse told me nothing is wrong with me anymore and said I’m fine. I am the happiest person right now. I promise Dr Ughulu I will testify about his good work on the internet. Reach out to Dr. Ughulu Via: drughulupowerfulspelltemple@gmail.com Thank you so much sir for what you did for me you’re the best of all. TEXT OR CALL: +1(252) 409-1841 or website: https://drughulupowerfulsp.wixsite.com/my-site-ughulu WHATSAPP NUMBER: +1(720) 794-2516
Go to commentsI’d take the Sharks, Stormers, Bulls, and Lions back in a second. Super Rugby Pacific is improving and the conference system sucked ass and never should have been implemented but if you think the quality of rugby is better without the South African franchises, you are kidding yourself.
And there is nothing authentic about Moana Pacifika, it is a sixth NZ franchise. Almost all of the players are NZ citizens, born and raised in NZ, were developed by NZ secondary schools and play in the NPC. The players just happen to be of Pacific heritage (just as there are a very large number of Pacific heritage players on the original five NZ franchises). Moana Pacifika is a marketing ploy for Auckland’s second SRP franchise.
Fiji Drua are legitimately a Pacific island team. Most players are born in Fiji, the players live and train in Fiji, and they play their home matches in Fiji.
Go to comments