Welcome to Fijilive Sports - All Blacks reject 'bully' accusation

The plight of South Pacific rugby union hit headlines again with fingers pointing towards New Zealand for dredging neighbours Samoa, Tonga and Fiji of rugby potentials.

The New Zealand Rugby Union on Thursday categorically denied accusations of bullying Samoan players to be available for the All Blacks, telling reporters they "reject them utterly."

The allegation came from Irish billionaire and mobile phone magnate Denis O'Brien, who said he had created a fund large enough to ensure Samoa's top 40 players did not have to go off-shore.

"I hate bullies and New Zealand bullies the islands," O'Brien told Britain's Daily Telegraph after a meeting with the Samoan prime minister, who claimed New Zealand was "pinching" his country's best players by promising hefty salaries.

But New Zealand rugby chief executive Steve Tew fired back, rejecting any suggestion of bullying or stealing players.

"If his comments have been reported accurately, they are very disappointing and we reject them utterly. They're just not factually correct," Tew told the Dominion-Post newspaper.

"If anyone wants to sit back and analyse what we've done to help Pacific Island rugby and, in particular, Samoan rugby we would stand proudly behind our record."

Tew said statistics made a mockery of the assertion that New Zealand rugby "pinched" Samoan players, and that the flow of top-level players went in the opposite direction.

From 2005 to 2007, 51 players who represented Samoa at Test level played their first-class or club rugby in New Zealand.

During the same period only nine Samoan-born players represented the All Blacks and one, Jerome Kaino, was from American Samoa.

Of the Samoan squad for the 2007 World Cup, 12 players were born in New Zealand and six others spent the majority of their careers playing there.

Tew said New Zealand would keep helping Pacific Islands rugby and play Tests against them, and it was in New Zealand's interest for Samoa, Fiji and Tonga to field their strongest possible Test sides.

Posted by: mohammed Asaf

Netherlands Antilles | Feb 12, 2009 | 03:17:31 PM

I think All Blacks should look at their backyard first for selection.
Lets be honest with things and face the reality, Take out all the south pacific individuals from the All Blacks in all codes and tell them to play these south pacifc neighbours. The scores of 50 nil and all this will be the other way around.

All Blacks will suffer the most and if IRB makes a rulling that you can only play your own heritage in your national teams.
Think of this in reality and then the results will speak for themselves.

Posted by: apisalome naqasima

Ukraine | Feb 13, 2009 | 05:57:41 AM

If the IRB makes a ruling that you can play your own heritage in your national teams,then it will be best for all Pacific Islanders leave NZ and play in your national competitions. It is through NZ's high standard of competition and professional setup that Pacific Islanders reach high standards, Pacific Islanders have a lot to thank NZ for that