The International Rugby Board's announcement of a multimillion dollar funding boost for minor rugby nations has been welcomed by Samoa, one of the financially strapped Pacific Island countries which will benefit from the move.
The board, meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, set aside ?30 million (43 million euros) to establish new competitions and high performance programs in first- and second-tier nations.
Half of that sum will go to Tier 2 nations Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Japan, Canada and US in the hope that those teams will eventually compete on equal terms with rugby's established elite.
"This is a historic day for rugby as it represents an unprecedented level of investment in rugby worldwide," IRB chairman Syd Millar said. "Ultimately the aim is to ensure that more unions can challenge for and potentially win the Rugby World Cup."
Pacific nations, which will compete from next year in a competition involving the Junior All Blacks, Australia A, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Japan, on Friday welcomed the cash injection.
Samoa, with Canada, Romania and US, will each receive direct funding of US$2.7 million over the next three years; Tonga will receive US$1.48 million, Fiji US$1.4 million and Japan US$930,000.
Samoan assistant coach Peter Fatialofa said Friday the new funding would allow the island nation to sustain high performance "nurseries" in Samoa, New Zealand and Australia.
"We can become a power again," Fatialofa said. "It will help us with the program we've already got going in places like Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Apia [Samoa]."
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