American Samoa Rugby Sevens National Teams’ Player Identification Camps Conducted in Utah and American Samoa
- e7mconsulting
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35 Players Evaluated Across Two Camps as Talavalu and Segaula Coaching Staff Begin Building National Player Pool
Pago Pago, American Samoa — May 19, 2026 — The first two player identification camps supporting talent identification for Amerika Samoa Rugby Union's (ASRU) national 7s program have concluded. Conceived and executed by US-based coaching and development team Mose Timoteo and Kristin Richeimer Timoteo, CAE, the camps, held in Bluffdale, Utah on March 14 and at Veterans Memorial Stadium in American Samoa on April 18, brought together a combined 35 players across both men's and women's divisions, marking the beginning of a merit-based, transparent evaluation pathway under the 2026-2028 Sevens Development Framework.
Across both camps, 18 men and 17 women were evaluated for potential inclusion in the national player pool, representing clubs and communities both on-island and across the American Samoan diaspora in the United States.
American Samoa Rugby Sevens Flag Day Tournament
The men’s and women’s National Team coaches also attended the Flag Day 7s Tournament on April 11 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in American Samoa as an additional opportunity to identify and evaluate players for both the Talavalu and Segaula squads. Six men's clubs and three women's clubs competed in the ASRU-hosted event, with Pago Pago Men's claiming the men's championship and Bula Rugby winning the women's title. The tournament was shown strong support with attendance by several members of American Samoa’s government and business leadership to open the Tournament, including U.S. Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa’s non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, ASRU Chairman, Lieutenant Governor High Chief Pulumataala Ae Ae Jr., and ASTCA CEO Folāsaitu Sorepa, as well as ASRU President Moli Lemana, who presided over the competition. Rep. Trude Gasetotolemasina Ledoux -Sunia, of the American Samoa House of Representatives, presented the awards at the conclusion of the tournament.
From Village to World Stage
The camps are the first tangible milestone under the 2026-2028 Sevens Development Framework, built around the program's defining vision: From Village to World Stage — One Pathway. One Standard. One American Samoa. ASRU President Moli Lemana, who opened the American Samoa camp, expressed strong support for the program's direction. "This is about building something that lasts," said Lemana. "This direction brings a mix of rugby credibility, cultural connection, and professional leadership at the right time for Amerika Samoa to leap forward. The Board is fully supportive of this framework and confident it puts American Samoa rugby on a strong, unified path forward."
The camps were designed and led by Mose Timoteo, Head Coach of the Talavalu Men's National Rugby Sevens Team. Born and raised in Pago Pago, Timoteo became the first American Samoan to be capped for the United States in rugby, earning 32 caps in Fifteens and more than 28 appearances on the World Rugby Sevens Series, including three Rugby World Cups in 15s and 7s. Since becoming a professional coach in 2018, he has led elite men's, women's, and age-grade athletes in both sevens and fifteens, including several players who have gone on to excel in U.S. national team pathways. He is a World Rugby certified coach, SafeSport certified, and widely recognized for a culture-driven, standards-based approach to high-performance rugby, with a special focus on attack.
"There is a strong pool of American Samoa-eligible talent based in the United States and worldwide, and this program is designed to connect that talent back to the island," said Timoteo. "By identifying, preparing, and assembling these players to represent American Samoa, we are following a model that many Pacific nations already use to compete successfully on the international stage. Our goal is to create a clear, consistent pathway that allows our athletes to train to international standards while proudly representing American Samoa."
Technical support at the American Samoa camp was provided by Belasio Koroiadi, Head Coach of the Segaula Women's National Rugby Sevens Team. A former international rugby player for the Talavalu, Coach Koroiadi is a strength and conditioning specialist with expertise in collision mechanics. A World Rugby Certified Coach and World Rugby Educator, he currently coordinates fitness and athletic preparation for Faasao Marist High School Sports in American Samoa.
Kristin Richeimer Timoteo, Rugby Development Officer for ASRU, managed logistics, registration, and communications for both camps. Richeimer brings more than two decades of professional leadership experience in rugby administration, domestic and international nonprofit management, and sport development. A former NCAA Division I softball athlete and competitive rugby player, she spent nearly nine years at USA Rugby across youth, coach, and referee development, as well as membership and international event operations. She currently serves as executive director of a national higher education organization.
Camps Overview
At both locations, players completed a structured evaluation covering fitness testing and skill-based drills, benchmarked against standards used by HSBC 7s top-tier programs worldwide. Skills evaluation covered passing and decision-making, edge attack and defense patterns, contact and breakdown work, and small-sided game scenarios. The Utah camp drew 18 players from Utah and surrounding states, including at least one who flew in from Southern California to attend. Paul Soliai, Summit Academy High School's football coach and former NFL Pro Bowler, attended as an observer, one of several local coaches and community figures who engaged with the program.
ASRU President Moli Lemana kicked off the American Samoa session, which was also attended by several local men's and women's club coaches as observers — an encouraging sign of growing community engagement around the national program."There was some excellent talent at both camps, and it's good to have these fitness benchmarks for them to see and improve upon," said Coach Timoteo. Following the camps, coaches have shared individual feedback assessments with players as they begin shaping the initial national player pool.
Building the Player Pool — Next Steps
With evaluations from two camps and the Flag Day tournament complete, coaching staff will consolidate results to begin building the Talavalu and Segaula national player pools. Future competition and assembly opportunities are actively being explored, with the Oceania 7s tournament and the Pacific Games in Tahiti in 2027 as primary targets. Additional player identification camps are being planned in Long Beach and Sacramento, California, as the program continues to reach American Samoa-eligible talent throughout the United States. Details will be released soon as the club rugby season wraps up. "We also need meaningful competition for both teams before Oceania 2026," said Timoteo. "That is a priority and we will be working to make it happen.
Players interested in expressing interest in representing American Samoa may complete this form: https://forms.gle/Zt6F6mPhvMFDNttNA
Media Contact:
Kristin Richeimer e7mconsulting@gmail.com