Last Sunday they went to mass at St Mary Magdalen's Church.

A video of the team singing was shared on the team's Facebook page and has so far been viewed more than 80,000 times.

Clare Bowskill, choir director at the church, praised the Samoans' singing, hailing them as a "beautiful and lovely group".

"They rang up on Saturday and said they were coming but to have 50 of them come along, they were so big they filled up half the church," she said.

"The singing was beautiful, I think it was the captain who came up to me and asked if we would like them to sing - which is what they did."

The team stayed at the church for about 20 minutes afterwards, posing for photos and selfies with fans and parishioners.

Father Ray Blake said: "It was impressive to see so many devout young men, who think worshipping God on a Sunday morning is just a normal manly thing to do. God bless them."

Manu Samoa also put their vocals to the test at their welcoming ceremony at the Brighton Dome.

The team performed a traditional dance and sang a native (sic) song which would not have sounded out of place in a professional choir competition according to the local reporter.

Source

• theargus.co.uk
• Image: theargus.co.uk

The magnificent Catholic church in Siusega, on the outskirts of Apia, is in the parish of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.

After the team entered the church to the hymn How Great Thou Art, sung in Samoan by a choir, parish priest Ilalio Fulu gave a lively address to the players, asking them if they were ready for Wednesday's historic match - the first time the All Blacks have played a test in the Islands.

The players assured him they were.

Fr Fulu also made mention of "our brothers from New Zealand", but said it was the Manu Samoa players' responsibility to celebrate their gifts fully on the field, and to play "tough, but not rough".

Later he asked: "If God is with us, who can be against us?"

Manu Samoa manager Namulauulu Sami Leota responded with an address of his own in which his only words in English were: "Are we ready? We are more than ready."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz

Viliamu Punivalu was a member of a Samoa Rugby Union (SFU) delegation who took gifts from Manu Samoa players to residents of Mapuifagalele Home for the Aged.

Opened in 1975, Mapuifagalele Home for the Aged is run by Little Sisters of the Poor at Vailele, a village located on the central north coast of Upolu Island - a drive of less than 10 minutes east of the capital, Apia.

Source

• Talamua.com
• Image: Facebook

The Manu Samoa visited Tafa'igata Prison as part of their final preparations for the Rugby World Cup. An emotional meeting between Manu Samoa winger, Alesana Tuilagi and his father, Tuilagi Namulauulu Leo II, was the highlight of the team's visit. Alesana's father, a former deputy Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament who is a prisoner there gave his son a rosary, as a good luck charm.

"This gift (Rosary) I gave Alesana is guidance for him as he heads to the World Cup," said Tuilagi Namulauulu.

"This rosary is my heart. He will go with my heart and I will pray for his safety and strength to play for our country."

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Image: google.co.nz