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Overview
This Manu Samoa rugby team lapel pin belonged to Sene Ta'ala, a local Wellingtonian and a former Manu Samoa rugby player. The logo on the pin depicts a Samoan warrior performing the siva tau ( Samoan war dance). It was designed by James Young (1972 -2012) who played for Manu Samoa in 1995.
Rugby in Samoa
The sport of Rugby Union was introduced into Samoa in 1924 by a Catholic Institute called the Marist Brothers of the Schools (Marist Brothers). The same year a Western Samoa team played its first international match against Fiji. It wasn’t until 1991, that Samoa played in its first Rugby World Cup Tournament. Since then, there has been strong support for the Manu Samoa rugby team from Samoan communities in the Pacific, New Zealand and around the world.
Sene Ta'ala : Samoa International Rugby Player
Ta'ala, of Samoan heritage, was born in Wellington in 1973, and attended Rongotai College. His first test debut was in 1996, in the South Pacific Championship competition, where he played flanker for Samoa against Tonga in Apia. Ta'ala was selected for the Manu Samoa Rugby World Cup team in 1999, in the tournament hosted by Wales, where he played flanker, lock and loose forward. The Manu Samoa team in a memorable game, beat Wales 38-31, in the pool stages of the competition at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Following the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Ta'ala played in Japan for nine years. His final test match for Samoa was in 2001, in the Pacific Rim Championship against Japan. Ta'ala returned to New Zealand to play for the Northern United Rugby Club in Porirua.
Acquisition History
This pin was donated to Te Papa by Sene Ta'ala in 2008.