Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua the mastermind behind Samoa's first win in an iRB Sevens Series leg-Wellington, NZ, 2007.

2/2/2009 Apia, Samoa – The Samoa Rugby Union today announced Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua as Manu Samoa Head Coach. Fuimaono a former captain of the Manu Samoa 7s and XVs is Samoa’s most successful coach at the iRB Sevens international stage.  

The Samoa Rugby Union Board has set high standards of achievement and performance for the new Head Coach. It is expected that Mr Tafua will pull together a cohesive and effective coaching structure with a strong focus on management and results. In a brief statement from Wellington, Mr Tafua says he is looking forward to the challenge.  

The sweet siva of success. 

Mr Tafua will take charge of a Manu Samoa team that over the next nine months will prepare for the Pacific Nations Cup in June; aim to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2011 in July; and travel on an arduous Northern Hemisphere tour to take on France, Wales and Italy in November 2009.

He is currently the Elite Development Coach for the High Performance Unit and Technical Advisor to the Manu Samoa 7s team. He will take up his new post when he returns from the Wellington leg of the IRB Sevens Series early next week. 

Mr Tafua hails from the villages of Matautu and Moamoa. He was named Samoa’s Coach of the Year at the Inaugural SASNOC Samoa Sports Awards 2007 and named the 2008 Coach of the Year for Apia Rugby Union.   

A stalwart of the Vaiala rugby club, Mr Tafua and his wife Eleni have three children.