This week, I sit down with Mataafa Ramsey Tomokino, a high-performance rugby administrator and former coach for Samoa, currently serving as the General Manager of High Performance for Lakapi Samoa. He is well-known for his coaching success with the Samoan women’s 15-a-side team, Manusina, and the men’s 7s team. Tomokino previously led Manusina to qualification for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and has since stepped into his current high-performance role with the national rugby union. Many will remember the viral press conference at the Rugby World Cup where Ramsey became visibly emotional, overwhelmed by what his players had poured into their campaign. In this episode, we go far beyond that moment.
We talk about what it truly cost to stand on that world stage.
Mothers. Students. Club players. Debutants. Women who left jobs and financial security to represent Samoa, unpaid and under-resourced, relying on community fundraisers, local clubs, and sheer belief to get there. Facing fully professional sides like England women’s national rugby union team, they may not have secured the results, but their presence shifted something. The crowds rallied behind the team, the. media loved interviewing the players, international hearts opened and the impact went far beyond the scoreboard.
Coach Ramsey reflects on hanging up the whistle and stepping into a new role after leading the women’s team for two decades. Samoa now leads the world in female representation across rugby management, with former players stepping into key leadership roles, something that should be a focus and a celebration in the women’s game. In his time as coach, Ramsey Tomokino always saw himself as a caretaker, laying foundations for a professional future where Samoan women can one day be paid to play the game they love.
We speak about the player pathway from club rugby to the World Cup, the challenge of Samoan players leaving to play for other countries, and the parallels between Manusina and the Springbok women, two teams built on resilience rather than entitlement. “Expect nothing and anything more is a bonus,” are candid words that have carried the team. We also talk about faith and spirituality which is the DNA of what it means to be Samoan.
Ramsey shares about this spiritual DNA of the team, how playing rugby drew many of the players closer to God and closer to one another. We revisit the sacred post-match rituals at the rugby World Cup, forming a circle with opponents, offering prayer, words, dance, and gift gifting a spear in honour of warrior Nafanua, a symbol of peace after battle. This moment was captured beautifully when the camera lingered so the world could see two teams, rivals on the field, but companions once the game ends. A moment that showed the world who Samoa truly is.
This is not just a rugby story. It’s about service, it’s about sacrifice without recognition and it’s about humility, culture, dignity, and building something that will outlive you. It’s raw. It’s honest, and it will move you. Coach Ramsey Tomokino continues to be a phenomenal ally and advocate for women in rugby and his insights are powerful and honest.