Bay of Plenty Steamers' halfback Junior Poluleuligaga said Samoa rugby officials quizzed him about Baypark and Tauranga during the Pacific island side's recent northern hemisphere tour.
"The manager and trainer were asking what it was like and I told them they would really enjoy it," Poluleuligaga said.
Yesterday Manu Samoa were confirmed
as one of three teams who would stay in Tauranga during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Poluleuligaga, the regular Samoa halfback, said he told management that it was a lot like back home with the beach and laidback lifestyle.
"People wear jandals all the time just like back home. I told them to check it out as it would make a perfect stop."
Poluleuligaga said he would be 30 years old when the world cup rolled around but was aiming to make the side.
"I went to the last world cup and I would love to experience it again at home."
He said it would be weird training on Baypark with the Samoa team but would be keen to show them around his turf.
Samoa is the only one of the three visiting sides who will train at Mount Maunganui's Baypark Stadium with the other two, Fiji and a yet-to-be-decided European side, using Tauranga Domain.
The Fiji rugby team will be the first to arrive in Tauranga and spend the longest time in the city. They spend nine nights in total - four from September 5-8, and five from September 26-30.
Manu Samoa's visit will overlap the Fiji stay as they spend four nights from September 7-10.
The third team will be from Europe but exactly who this will not be be known until further qualifying matches early next year but could be Romania, Georgia, Portugal or Ukraine. This side will spend three nights here from September 21-23.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union's operations manager Mike Rogers said they were happy with the teams announced as they were likely to easily interact with the community.
"Samoa and Fiji I am sure will be happy to get out and about," Mr Rogers said.
He said the Bay union had an agreement with tournament organisers to be involved with hosting these teams and it would be good for great for Steamers staff to be involved with these international players.
A meeting will soon be held among city leaders to discuss organising activities for the visiting teams.
