Samoa captain: Bosses treated Cup as boozy holiday

Mahonri Schwalger. Photo / Greg Bowker

The captain of Samoa's rugby team has blown the whistle on his side's World Cup campaign, claiming some officials and team managers treated it as a "massive holiday" involving alcohol and mates.

In a report to the Samoan Prime Minister, captain Mahonri Schwalger singled out union vice-chairman Lefau Harry Schuster, chief executive Su'a Peter Schuster, team manager Tuala Matthew Vaea and assistant manager Ryan Schuster for the team's failure in the tournament.

"We as a team feel that our preparation was tainted by not having people in vital positions committed to their duties and responsibilities before every game," said Schwalger.

"I feel that for our team to go forward we need to have committed people, or we will never go anywhere.

"From Harry, to board members that were there at the World Cup, they treated this as a massive holiday."

Su'a Peter Schuster yesterday said the captain's report was "factually incorrect" but he did not elaborate.

The others could not be contacted or did not return calls.

In his report, Schwalger said he and the other Samoan players were paid $1000 a week during the cup. He had discovered that Tongan and Fijian players were paid $1500 a week, and also received thousands more before the tournament.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi - who is also chairman of the Samoa Rugby Union - has ordered a full audit of the union's World Cup donations and funding.

The Prime Minister said the allegations should be balanced against a proper response from team management, but on the face of it he expected a higher level of professionalism from them.

He said he had visited the team before the matches and was told everything was all right.

The report said the vice-chairman came to the World Cup "to enjoy himself with his mates" and the chief executive treated the tournament as a holiday.

"Harry was a totally different person [from what] I expected him to be. The whole camp, he was there to enjoy himself with his mates," Schwalger said.

"Su'a bringing his friends, board members to the hotel to continually drink, we found this a big distraction for the players whilst they are trying to prepare for every game."

The report claimed team manager Vaea "did not want to be there at most times".

"He would disappear from the team for two to three days during all the weeks," the Schwalger report said.

"Matthew spent most of his time drinking with his '91 reunion mates definitely treating this World Cup like a holiday and not as what a manager should be."

The report said the manager was also not around to present the jerseys before the team's final pool game against South Africa.

"He acted like he is the owner of the team and not the manager."

Schwalger said assistant manager Ryan Schuster tried to "cover" for Vaea while he was "out drinking and playing golf".

"We felt sorry for him because he could not do the job properly," said the report.

Schwalger was in hospital for ankle surgery yesterday, and was not available for further comment but said in the report that the current management team had to change for Manu Samoa to make it to the top in world rugby.

MONEY TALKS
* Samoa - $1000 a week.
* Fiji - $1500 a week plus lump sum.
* Tonga - $1500 a week plus lump sum.