Rugby professionals have stepped up in an effort to improve the treatment of Pacific rugby players contracted to European teams.
Mike Umaga Photo: AFP / CITIZENSIDE / TERRY SCOTT
In the United Kingdom, former Manu Samoa player Mike Umaga is now a professional coach.
He said young players were plucked from obscurity and thrust into an unfamiliar world.
Mr Umaga's son Jacob, who is England-born, has been picked to represent the England under-20 side. Mr Umaga worries players of a similar age from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji - often arrive in Europe without anywhere near the same support.
"They have been taken straight off the island into an environment that they're totally unprepared for, have no idea of and then basically ... things don't go quite according to plan. No-one to turn to," Mr Umaga said.
There are more than 600 rugby players with Pacific island heritage now playing in European rugby leagues.
Some of those players are runaway successes, others find themselves heartbreakingly adrift.
"There are some real horror stories that have been going on just in regard to the Pacific players over here ... having been attracted to the UK and Europe and subsequently left to their own devices," Mr Umaga said.
"Some come out the other side, some aren't so fortunate."
Mr Umaga and other senior players formed the not-for-profit Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW) to offer support and lobby for greater support from players' agents.
Proud to announce PRPW is officially active in France! #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/WuUZemqxMW
— Pacific RugbyWelfare (@PacificRPW) September 25, 2017
"One of the biggest issues is the unregistered agents. Someone in the village, they'll go and pluck someone out of total obscurity and send them over and like you say if it doesn't work out they're just left to their own devices.
"We're finding more and more of that ... there are so many that don't get exposure, the ones that don't work out so well. Some of them are fortunate enough to come out maybe scarred and able to get get back to either New Zealand, Australia or back to the islands and live to fight another day."There are some people, they don't get to have that opportunity."
Isireli Temo, a Fijian player who was a prop for a third division side in France, suffered injury and after returning to Europe from a family visit in Fiji committed suicide in December.
"That's only one of the horror stories," Mr Umaga said.
The Pacific Rugby Players Welfare not-for-profit wants better support from the agents who solicit young players from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and, this week, launched in France.
The organisation was set up by former players and professionals in Pacific rugby, including Mike Umaga, Daniel Leo, and Junior Paramore.
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