We now have a 32-player Samoa Rugby World Cup squad, with one more player still to be named.

Seilala Mapusua‘s side are the first to name their official squad for the tournament, and there are some interesting additions – Chris Vui and Michael Alaalatoa were named co-captains, while three former All Blacks have made the cut.

Fly-half Lima Sopoaga, back-rower Steven Luatua and prop Charlie Faumuina are in the final list. Christian Lealiifano – who represented the Wallabies at the last World Cup, in Japan – has become a regular fixture at fly-half too, and he is in the squad.

Samoa’s golden days were in the 1990s as they made it to the quarter-final stages in both the 1991 and 1995 World Cups.

Check out who made the Samoa Rugby World Cup squad below – and see the full list of Rugby World Cup fixtures here.

Samoa Rugby World Cup squad 2023

Nigel Ah wong (centre, Moana Pasifika)
Michael Alaalatoa (prop, Leinster)
Brian Alainu’uese (lock, Toulon)
Paul Alo-Emile (prop, Stade Français)
So’otala Fa’aso’o (back-row, unattached)
Miracle Fai’ilagi (lock, Moana Pasifika)
Charlie Faumuina (prop, Toulouse)
Ed Fidow (wing, Rugby New York Ironworkers)
Neria Foma’i (wing, Moana Pasifika)
Ben Lam (wing, Montpellier)
Seilala Lam (hooker, Perpignan)
Jordan Lay (prop, Blues)
Christian Leali’ifano (fly-half/centre, Moana Pasifika)
Fritz Lee (No 8, Clermont)
Alai D’Angelo Leuila (fly-half, Moana Pasifika)
Steven Luatua (back-row, Bristol Bears)
Sama Malolo (hooker, San Diego Legion)
Tumua Manu (centre, Pau)
Melani Matavao (scrum-half, Samoa Sevens)
Theo McFarland (lock, Saracens)
Alamanda Motuga (back-row, Moana Pasifika)
Duncan Paia’aua (centre, Toulon)
Taleni Seu (back-row, Toyota)
UJ Seuteni (centre, La Rochelle)
Sam Slade (back-row, Moana Pasifika)
Lima Sopoaga (fly-half, Shimizu Blue Sharks)
Jordan Taufua (back-row, Lyon)
Jonathan Taumateine (scrum-half, Moana Pasifika)
Danny Toala (centre, Moana Pasifika)
Luteru Tolai (hooker, Moana Pasifika)
Chris Vui (lock, Bristol Bears)

*one more player to come

Samoa Rugby World Cup Pool

Samoa have been drawn in Rugby World Cup Pool D alongside England, Japan, Argentina and Chile.

Sat 16 Sept Samoa v Chile  (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Fri 22 Sept Samoa v Argentina (Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne)

Thu 28 Sept Samoa v Japan (Stade de Pierre Toulouse, Toulouse)

Sat 7 Oct Samoa v England (Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille)

The knockout stages will follow the same format as previous years, with teams from Pools A and B then Pools C and D meeting in the quarter-finals. So Wales and England could meet in the last eight, for example.

QF1 – Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
QF2 – Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF3 – Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
QF4 – Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B

Then the semi-finals will be the Winner of QF1 v Winner QF2 and the Winner QF3 v Winner QF4.

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