Linwood quartet help Manusina to WXV 2 Qualification

Linwood’s Sui Pauaraisa, Cassie Siataga, Philomena Petaia and Kayla Hunkin-Clark have helped Samoa Manusina to Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship glory, securing qualification to the WXV 2 competition in the process.

It is also the first time that Manusina have won the championship, beating Fiji, winners of the Championship on three occasions, 19-18 off the back of a last minute penalty from Siataga.

Samoa will now take their place in WXV 2 as Oceania champions, alongside qualified teams Scotland, Japan and South Africa, when the tournament kicks off in Cape Town on 14 October.

“Honestly, I’m really speechless,” Manusina captain Sui Pauaraisa said. “We knew that we were the underdogs, we knew we had nothing to lose.

“We knew that Fiji was going to be our test throughout this whole tournament and that they were the champs from the Super W, and they beat us last year. I’m so proud and grateful for these girls, we hustled from that first whistle to the last minute.”