Samoa’s Fao Tauiliili Harry Schuster has been re-elected as the President of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions, this giving him another term representing the Pacific on the IRB Council.
Samoa Rugby Union’s Fao Tauiliili Harry Schuster has been re-elected as the President of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU) for the third consecutive term.
Tauiliili was elected unopposed to the post of President as well as FORU’s representative to the International Rugby Board (IRB) Council for the next four years. Previously the term of office was for 2 years which has now been extended to four years.
The election was held at the recent 2008 FORU AGM that was hosted by the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union in Port Moresby between 31 March and 1 April. Tauiliili has been President of the FORU and a member of the IRB Council since 2004. The IRB Council is comprised of 27 members from 116 Rugby Unions worldwide.
FORU members include Australia, NZ, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, PNG, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Wallis & Futuna, American Samoa, and Niue.
The FORU AGM adopted its Strategic Plan to guide its activities for the next four years. Some of the upcoming events endorsed include:
• The RWC Sevens Qualifier for Oceania to be hosted by Samoa on the 25 & 26th July 2008
• The Oceania Cup (east and west competition) kicks off in the Cook Islands and New Caledonia on 16-23 August 2008.
• The 2008 FORU U-19 Championship is hosted by Fiji on 6-14 September 2008.
• The 2009 Oceania Cup in Solomon Islands and Niue is the Rugby World Cup qualifier to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The Samoa Rugby Union is very grateful for the support from the Chief Justice Tiavaasue Patu Falefatu Sapolu and the Ministry of Justice in allowing Tauiliili to continue his duties as President of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions and Member of the IRB Council. With Tauiliili at the helm, Oceania Rugby will continue to consolidate it’s development into the commercial arena of professional rugby.
The Samoa Rugby Union wishes Tauiliili the best for the four years ahead.
IRB Council Profile: Harry Schuster
Rep: Oceania (FORU)
Year Joined: 2004
Harry Jeffrey Schuster is a law graduate of Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand. Currently a partner in the Law Office of Fepuleai and Schuster in Apia Samoa, he was elected as Honorary Secretary of the Samoa Rugby Football Union in December 1999 and President of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions in February 2004. Schuster played in the Samoa Secondary Schools Union representative Team, played for and captained the New Zealand Universities Team and played Number 8 for Manu Samoa from 1989 to 1993.
