Sport in Samoa
The main sports played in Samoa are rugby union and rugby league. Other popular sports are netball and soccer. Samoans in American Samoa are more likely to follow or play American sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Sports such as mixed martial arts, boxing, professional wrestling, and volleyball are popular among most ethnic Samoans regardless of location.
Types of sports
Rugby union
Rugby union is the main sport in Samoa as it is played everywhere on the island. Samoa's national team has competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1991 and they consistently rank in the top 20 teams in world rugby. Some of the current national team record holders are Brian Lima for most caps and most tries, Tusi Pisi for most points, Semo Sititi for most matches as captain, and Gavin Williams for most points in a match. Elvis Seveali'i and Alesana Tuilagi are tied for most tries in a single match.
Rugby league
American football
Association football
Australian rules football
Basketball
Samoa will host the 2021
Boxing
Professional boxing
Amateur boxing
In 2011,
Kickboxing
In 2001, unheralded newcomer
Cricket
Cricket is a minor sport in Samoa. The Samoan national cricket team became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2000. In 2005, they competed in the East Asia/Pacific Cup, finishing in last place, thus missing out on qualification for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Mixed martial arts (MMA)
Netball
Volleyball
Sumo wrestling
In the world of Sumo, Fiamalu Penitani became just the second non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach yokozuna, the highest rank in the sport. Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach ōzeki, the second-highest rank in the sport. Kilifi Sapa is known for being the third non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach the top division. However, his highest rank was maegashira, the lowest of five ranks in the makuuchi division.[27]
Professional wrestling
A number of
Other sports
Several Samoans have won medals at the Summer Olympic Games and other international events. Ele Opeloge created history for Samoa by earning the nation's first ever Olympic medal, a silver in the Women's +75 kg Weightlifting class at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[28]
Tumua Anae and Sami Hill have won gold medals with the United States women's Water polo squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics respectively.[32][33]
In Professional bodybuilding, Samoan Sonny Schmidt became the first Pacific Islander to win a Mr. Olympia event when he was crowned the 1995 Masters Olympia winner for contestants over 40 years of age.[36][37]
Stadiums in Samoa
Stadium | Capacity | City | Tenants | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
Apia Park | 12,000 | Apia | Rugby union: Samoa national rugby union team |
See also
References
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- ^ Ruck, Rob. "Football's Polynesian moment: Samoa's athletic outliers are paying a steep price for their commitment to the game". Salon. Retrieved 5 Feb 2016.
- ^ Team by team guide to the International Cup from The Age. August 11, 2002
- ^ AFL Samoa
- ^ Samoa excited to host 2021 FIBA Polynesian Cup, FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
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- ^ McCarter, Nathan. "GSP Vacates Belt, Champion Robert Whittaker Will Face Luke Rockhold at UFC 221". Bleach Report. Retrieved 21 Apr 2021.
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- ^ Robb, Sharon. "Fonoimoana Makes Name For Himself". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 6 Apr 2003.
- ^ "Polynesian Islanders In Japanese Sumo". Aloha Valley. Retrieved 30 Jan 2016.
- ^ Barbara Dreaver (2017-03-24). "Samoa receives its first Olympic medal after Ukrainian drug cheats exposed". tvnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ Ron Flatter Davis. "Louganis never lost drive to dive". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ Nesian Village (2016-02-13). "Profile: Robin Leamy (Olympic Swimmer)". nesianvillage.com. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ David Davis (2012-04-05). "Robin Leamy ('86) Follows His Dreams". ucla.edu. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ "Tumua Anae". olympic.org. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
- ^ "A Rio Rundown". independent.com. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
- ^ "Rio Olympics 2016: Silver for New Zealand women's rugby sevens team". NZ Herald. Retrieved 9 Aug 2016.
- ^ "Beatrice Faumuina wins athletics world championship gold". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
- ^ Robin Chang (2012-06-12). "IFBB Masters Olympia Moving to Miami, Florida". flexonline.com. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- ^ Marty Gallagher (1996-01-01). "Sonny Schmidt: How he won the Masters Olympia". highbeam.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-16. Retrieved 2017-04-15.