World Footy News

Fiatupu To’oto’o, most valuable player at the 2002 International Cup, will be lining up again for the Samoan Bulldogs this August. Internet news source eventpolynesia.com profiled the star and Australian football generally in the island nation.

The eventpolynesia.com article, which is recent but undated, outlines Australian football to those unfamiliar with the sport and explains how Fiatupu became involved with it as a boundary umpire for his brother's Under-16's team. He took up the sport with North Dandenong shortly after and was hooked.

Fiatupu is quoted in the article stating that Samoans a well-suited to playing Australian football because of "their love of contact sports and their approach to the game and their natural size and speed." Fiatupu was evidence of this at the 2002 Cup, where he was named tournament MVP and attracted interest from several top amateur clubs keen to recruit him. He now plays with the Moorabbin Kangaroos alongside his brother and two cousins.

The Samoan Australian Rules Football Association (SARFA) also gets a mention in the article, as does Fiatupa's invitation to train with the Manu Samoa national rugby union squad this year. That such an talented player will line up for this International Cup will be little comfort for Samoa's opponents, many of whom will get to witness Fiatupu's skills at the Australian game first-hand.