Sydney Roosters and Toa Samoa Rugby League World Cup star Joseph Sua'ali'i received Matai chiefly titles by village elders in Samoa.
Last year, Sua'ali'i joined the rare handful of players to make a State of Origin squad at 18 years of age.to allow him to play first grade for the Roosters at 17-years-old — previous rules said players had to be 18 before lining out for their side.His parents, Chris and Salina Sua'ali'i, always made staying connected to Samoa a priority for Sua'ali'i and his six siblings. The family return to the islands every year.
"I went to boarding school at the Kings School, a 'rugby school'… [there were] a lot of higher socio-economic people there. "I want to do this to be able to connect with the people, especially my grandparents who speak the language. They don't really speak the English," he said. The Matai system or 'fa'amatai' in Samoan, reflects a time-honoured socio-political system of governance in Samoan society.
Lakisa refers to Samoa's chiefly title system as an "interesting mix of inheritance and election" — think of hereditary titles in the British monarchy like the Prince of Wales or Duke of Sussex.
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