Placeholder canvas

Samoa coach Betham steps down after Rugby World Cup exit

Date:

Samoa coach Stephen Betham has resigned after the Pacific islanders’ disappointing World Cup performance, chief executive Vincent Fepuleai said Monday.

Samoa Rugby Union’s Fepuleai said more was expected from the team, who exited in the pool stage after losses to Japan, South Africa and Scotland.

He told Radio New Zealand that a review into the campaign was underway but Betham had already decided to leave after three-and-a-half years in the job.

“Stephen has called it a day, I guess, and there will be opportunities there and I think we will go through the proper process in recruitment of a new head coach and so forth,” Fepuleai said.

“The position would be advertised internally and externally and we will secure the best person who we think will take us over the next four years to World Cup success.”

Samoa not only failed to make the knock-out rounds of this year’s tournament but must face a gruelling qualification campaign to make the next one in 2019 after finishing fourth in their group.

Betham complained during the tournament that referees were singling out the Samoans for their physical style of play but the team continued to give away penalities and yellow cards.

They lifted for their final match against Scotland but the island nation’s main newspaper the Samoa Observer said the overall campaign was marred by “wrong selections, poor discipline and the absence of leadership”.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Orry Faces Backlash After Declining Handshake At Event

Internet sensation Orry, famed for his wild antics and...

From Deepfake Concerns To India’s AI Mission PM Modi Interacts With Bill Gates

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a...

NewsMobile Morning Brief

Actor Govinda Joins Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena Ahead Of...

Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies Of Cardiac Arrest

Banda: Gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari passed away at...