Manusima Samoa players celebrate following the WXV 3 2024 match between Samoa v Madagascar at The Sevens 2 Stadium on October 11, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as they qualify for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup. Photo: Christopher Pike - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images Photo: Christopher Pike - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
Manusina player Sinead Ryder has taken to Givealittle to raise funding for the women's Rugby World Cup.
"Funding for teams like Manusina is scarce and financially has been weighing heavy on our minds," Ryder wrote on social media.
"The donation will be used to help me attend our events/games held in Samoa, Fiji and England for two months."
Last October, Samoa qualified for the Women's Rugby World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Soon after, captain Masuisuimatama'ali'i Tauasa-Pauaraisa spoke to RNZ Pacific about the difficult journey amid Lakapi Samoa's financial woes.
"We know of the financial struggles Lakapi Samoa is going through, and for us to put Samoa back up on the world map is a massive achievement.
Manusina Samoa skipper, Masuisuimatama'ali'i Tauasa-Pauaraisa was also honoured with the Pasiifka Hall of Fame Female Player of the Year for 2024. 10 April 2025 Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
"We have achieved a lot being under-resourced."
Pauaraisa said they were paid as little as NZ$130-$300 for an entire tournament, with gear arriving late, if at all.
At the time, Lakapi Samoa chief executive Faleomavaega Vincent Fepuleai said the union had not recovered post-Covid and was continually playing catch-up.
"Measures made to alleviate or stop the debt included cancelling the Manu Samoa Northern Hemisphere tour, the first time in 20-plus years this has happened, in order to repay outstanding debt without haemorrhaging more funds," he said.
"Commercial deals that have not returned yields, lack of sponsors and funding into the union has contributed."
He said Lakapi Samoa's main source of funding is World Rugby, which helps to fund travel to competitions and associated costs such as camps and flights. But this money does not cover allowances or team apparel.
A corporate dinner at Ōtāhuhu Rugby Football Club in Auckland is planned on 19 July for fundraising for the World Cup.
Ryder said her ultimate goal was to represent New Zealand in teams like the Hurricanes Poua and Black Ferns, but it was a goal that was "impossible to achieve despite the commitment, energy and determination I invested".
"But as the saying goes 'when the door is closed shut, find a window. My window was Nina Foaese with Manusina."
Foaese introduced Ryder to the Manusina team in 2023.
"This team has brought me so much closer to my Samoan heritage I feared I was losing."
The Wallaroos will play Manusina in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup in Manchester, England, on 23 August.
