SEATTLE – Serevi Rugby today officially launched a new campaign, called “Island Kings”, to benefit national team players from Fiji, Samoa and Tonga as they participate in international rugby competitions. In this initial Island Kings line, each of the three nations is represented by a custom-designed t-shirt that celebrates its unique cultural identity and features its national color.

The shirts are available from www.serevirugby.com and from exclusive online partner www.worldrugbyshop.com for USD $24.99. Partial proceeds from sales of the shirts will be directed to segregated team accounts and made available to named players of each team.

“I was blessed to play and coach international rugby for 21 years,” said Waisale Serevi, co-founder of Serevi Rugby. “I began my career before playing professionally was an option. I know the sacrifice and commitment required of national team players and their families. I see Island Kings as the perfect platform for recognizing that dedication and creating opportunity for players.”

The Island Kings line will provide fans of each team a direct way to help players compete against better-resourced competition, while also showing national pride. Serevi Rugby has created an account for each of the three teams, and named players of each team will share directly in the profits generated by sales of its shirt. The segregated team accounts will be managed by a senior executive from Serevi Rugby, a senior team representative from each team, and an independent advisor from each country.

Serevi’s underlying desire is that national team players from Pacific Island nations, particularly those without professional contracts, are rewarded for the commitment and sacrifice required to don the national jersey. While Serevi has focused the initial Island Kings line on players from his native Pacific Island region, he admires the sacrifice of all rugby athletes who compete for their nations without the benefit of professional contracts.

With the Island Kings line, Serevi hopes to offer athletes access to some of the basic comforts he lacked as a player, so that their focus can be exclusively on rugby. “I am fortunate that, with the collective support of rugby fans around the world, I can give back to both the game and the region that have afforded me so many opportunities,” said Serevi.

About Serevi Rugby
Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., Serevi Rugby is a company focused on promoting the sport of rugby worldwide and developing it more broadly in the United States. Serevi Rugby offers fun and impactful youth camps, high-quality coach and training programs, and national academies for high-performance athletes. More information is available at www.serevirugby.com.