England duo Mako Vunipola and Manu Tuilagi are urging their team-mates to donate five percent of their wages to their opponents Samoa after their Test on November 25.
The difference in income between England and Samoa rugby players is significant with England players’ match fees being £22,000, while the Samoans will earn around £650.
And according to reports, Samoan Rugby is close to bankruptcy.
Buy Vunipola and Tuilagi, who were born in Tonga and Samoa respectively, are determined to help the Pacific Islanders’ cause.
“If 23 England players give £1,000 each, that will make a lot of difference to the Islanders,” Vunipola told the Daily Mail.
“We’re very lucky over here with the security we have from our clubs and England. A union as big as England get a lot of revenue so I’d like to see them help out Samoa.”
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Tuilagi echoed Vunipola’s sentiments.
“They’re close to bankruptcy – a million pounds in debt – and can you imagine a rugby world with no Samoa? A rugby world without Samoa is no rugby world to me,” he said.
“It would be very, very sad. There’s so much potential. With the right infrastructure and management, they can be as good as any team in the world.”