Samoa convincingly claimed the Oceania 1 qualification spot for Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011 after defeating Oceania Cup winners Papua New Guinea in a two-match series 115-7 and 73-12.
Samoa will compete at RWC 2011 in Pool D against 2007 Champions South Africa, Fiji, Wales and the Africa 1 qualifier.
Their qualification also means that all teams are now confirmed for the five pool matches at Auckland's Eden Park, including the Pool D show-down between Samoa and Fiji on Sunday, September 25.
"Samoa's qualification means that Eden Park's full complement of teams is now complete. The pool matches to be contested in Auckland will be of the highest calibre and are guaranteed to produce exciting rugby," said Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd (RNZ 2011) CEO Martin Snedden.
"Congratulations to Samoa on their qualification. I am sure that they can expect a warm welcome in 2011 as New Zealanders turn out in force to support their Pacific neighbours," added Snedden.
Samoa will play their first RWC 2011 match on September 14 against Africa 1 at Rotorua International Stadium.
Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters offered his welcome to the team: "I'm delighted to hear that Samoa has qualified for the Oceania 1 spot as this means they'll be playing a match against the top African qualifying team in Rotorua at our International Stadium. Both teams can look forward to a warm Rotorua welcome and will experience genuine 'manaakitanga' - the traditional spirit of hospitality that Rotorua is so well known for".
Samoa then travel to Hamilton's Waikato Stadium to take on Wales on September 18.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock also welcomed the news: "On behalf of Hamilton, I congratulate Samoa for securing their spot at RWC 2011. With a strong rugby culture in Hamilton, we are looking forward to being part of this world event and hosting the Samoan team at Waikato Stadium when they compete against Wales."
The next stop is Auckland on September 25, where they take on fellow Pacific Islanders Fiji in what promises to be a dramatic encounter.
Auckland spokesperson Michael Barnett says confirmation that Samoa will play in the Tournament is great news for the region and in particular its Samoan community. "The prospect of Auckland, as the world's largest Polynesian city, hosting the Samoa versus Fiji match at Eden Park in front of 60,000 passionate fans is absolutely mouth-watering,"
"It will be a unique occasion and promises to be one of the highlights of the Tournament," he added.
In their final pool match on September 30, the Samoans will face RWC 2007 Champions South Africa at North Harbour Stadium.
"These RWC matches in both Auckland and North Shore will provide a great platform for engaging the region's diverse communities and I am confident the Samoan community will lead the way," commented Mr. Barnett.
Samoa have competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1991 and made it through to the quarter-final round in 1991 and 1995.
They are currently ranked 11th in the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Rankings.
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