Rugby to the rescue
Prunella Scarlett, Hon Consul for Samoa, UK, applauds a generous fundraising effort
On Tuesday 29 September a tsunami hit Samoa with waves, said to be as high as six metres. It caused devastation in the coastal areas, particularly in the south and south eastern part of the island of Upolo. Some 143 people were killed and many more were injured. Complete villages and tourist resorts, roads, power lines and water supplies were destroyed and swept away. The people had to flee to the high ground.
For some hours the world’s eyes were on the Pacific as Tonga and American Samoa were also affected, but not so badly. Then the earthquake hit Sumatra and attention switched to the disaster there, where the loss of life was much higher. But of course the impact on the life and economy of a small developing country was, in percentage terms, vastly worse in Samoa, and with a small population most people knew someone who had been killed. A Declaration of Disaster was declared for the whole country and relief assistance began to come in from governments, NGOs and church organisations.
But on the other side of the world a very different network was coming to the rescue. Wales and Samoa have a long and special relationship through rugby. The next international match between the two countries was scheduled for 13 November at Cardiff, so the Welsh Rugby Union made their plans for both before and during the match.. They persuaded ITV Wales to send a camera team to Samoa so that material could be broadcast on the screens inside the Millennium Stadium on matchday, to encourage supporters to help. Bucket collections have been organised both inside and outside the ground. The WRU website, the press conferences and releases have all stressed the need to support fund raising efforts, as does the match programme. In addition the WRU is giving a significant financial contribution to Samoan rugby.
What a generous gesture of friendship and support.