Amerika Samoa Rugby Union Appoints New Leadership for American Samoa National Sevens Rugby Program

April 30, 2026 - Pago Pago, American Samoa - The Amerika Samoa Rugby Union (ASRU) announces the appointment of Mose Timoteo as Head Coach of the ASRU Men’s National Rugby Sevens Team (Talavalu), and Belasio Julian Christian Koroiadi as Head Coach of the Women’s National Rugby Sevens Team (Segaula). In addition, Kristin Richeimer Timoteo has been appointed Rugby Development Officer. These appointments formalize the commitment to a unified, long-term pathway for high-performance and grassroots rugby development in American Samoa.

From Village to World Stage

The appointments align with the 2026-2028 Sevens Development Framework, built around a clear vision: From Village to World Stage - One Pathway. One Standard. One American Samoa. The framework emphasizes competitive excellence, strong program culture, youth engagement, and the development of local coaching and administrative capacity.

Mose Timoteo brings extensive international playing and coaching experience to the role. Born and raised in Pago Pago, he became the first American Samoan to be capped for the United States in rugby, earning 32 caps in Fifteens and more than 28 appearances on the World Rugby Sevens Series, including competing in three Rugby World Cups. He has won championships as a player and coach at the highest levels of the men’s and women’s game in the United States. Since becoming a professional coach in 2018, Timoteo has led elite men’s, women’s, and age-grade athletes in both sevens and fifteens, including several players who have excelled in U.S. national team pathways. He is a World Rugby certified coach, SafeSport certified, a native speaker in English and Samoan, and is widely recognized for a culture-driven, standards-based approach to high-performance rugby, with special focus on attack. Under Coach Timoteo’s leadership, the national program will pursue competitive goals including Top 8 placement at Oceania Rugby Sevens competitions and preparation toward the Pacific Games Tahiti 2027, while establishing consistent standards of preparation, accountability, and representation on and off the field. Eligible players holding a US passport will be recruited from the mainland USA as well as on-island in American Samoa.

Segaula Head Coach Belasio Koroiadi

Coach Koroiadi is a former international rugby player for the American Samoa Talavalu, a strength & conditioning coach and trainer with expertise in collision mechanics. He is a World Rugby Certified Coach and World Rugby Educator and currently coordinates the fitness and athletic preparation for Faasao Marist High School Sports in American Samoa. There he oversees the general physical preparedness for student-athletes to build a robust foundation for all sporting disciplines.

Rugby Development Officer - Kristin Richeimer, CAE

As Development Officer, Kristin Richeimer Timoteo will contribute to plans for strategic growth of rugby in American Samoa, inclusive of age-grade, women’s rugby, and national team programs, focusing on sustainable development structures, partnerships, and promotion and communications to expand participation and opportunity for all players. Kristin brings more than two decades of professional leadership experience spanning rugby administration, domestic and international nonprofit and sport management. A former NCAA Division I softball athlete, she played competitive fifteens and sevens rugby after college and spent nearly nine years employed by USA Rugby in youth, coach, and referee development, as well as membership and national and international event operations. She currently serves as Executive Director of a national higher education organization and brings expertise in international strategy, governance, communications, partnerships, and fundraising.

“This is about building something that lasts,” said Moli Lemana, President of ASRU. “This direction brings a mix of rugby credibility, cultural connection, and professional leadership at the right time for Amerika Samoa to leap forward. The Board is fully supportive of this framework and confident it puts American Samoa rugby on a strong, unified path forward.”

Developing the American Samoa National Sevens Rugby Program

The first milestones under the new leadership will be a series of National 7s Player Identification Camps, launching the athlete evaluation and selection process for American Samoa-eligible players based on-island and in the United States, designed and administered by Mose Timoteo and Kristin Richeimer. The camps in Utah (March 14th) and American Samoa (April 18th) mark the beginning of a transparent, merit-based pathway tied to long-term development initiatives. Players in the US and American Samoa can find more information and register for the camps in Utah and American Samoa at this link.

Coach Timoteo stated, “There is a strong pool of American Samoa eligible talent based in the United States and worldwide, and this program is designed to connect that talent back to the island,” said Timoteo. “By identifying, preparing, and assembling these players to represent American Samoa, we are following a model that many Pacific nations already use to compete successfully on the international stage. Our goal is to create a clear, consistent pathway that allows our athletes to train to international standards while proudly representing American Samoa.”

Additional details on upcoming Player Identification Camps, program activities, and sponsorship opportunities will be released in the coming weeks.

Media Contact

Kristin Richeimer Timoteo

Contact: kristin@lumanairugby.org