“I look forward to representing the country of my mother’s birth and hopefully I can do her proud and the people of Samoa as well.” – Former Black Cap Leaupepe Ross Taylor
For many cricket fans in New Zealand and across the world, Ross Taylor is already a household name.
With more than 18,000 runs in total for the New Zealand Black Caps, the Samoan cricketer has already etched his name in the record books for his sport.
But it’s hard to believe that even the name “Ross”, at one point, was not even a thing.
“My (school) principal at the time could not pronounce my name Luteru. So my grandma just told him to call me Ross,” Taylor says.
From that name change many years ago, the name ‘Ross’ has been how he’s been known ever since.
But for the first time however, the Black Caps legend will now play cricket under his full Samoan name – Leaupepe Luteru Ross Poutoa Lote Taylor.
“Yeah it couldn’t really fit on the thing (teamlist),” he laughed.
“I think my font was the smallest to get in, and I had people message me and were like, ‘what’s your name again?’ Because they couldn’t really see it.”
Taylor has stepped out of retirement to join Team Samoa Cricket in Oman for T20 Cricket World Cup qualifiers.
He says the decision to play came after a phone call with another Samoan Black Caps legend, Murphy Sua.
“October last year, I rang Murphy Sua to talk and ask about his son who is playing in the NRL,” Taylor says.
“Towards the end of the conversation he said Ross, Samoa have qualified for the World Cup qualifier, they want you to go and play. They have talked to the ICC and you qualify in April. Do you want to go to play?
“I was 40 at the time… I have had my time.
“As it’s gone on, obviously I have made the decision to play. It’s gotten a lot of water under the bridge to get here, but I look forward to representing the country of my mother’s birth and hopefully I can do her proud and the people of Samoa as well.”
Taylor’s inclusion in the Samoan side is a major boost for the players, including young gun Darius Visser.
With only a couple of years under his belt in terms of representation of Samoa in cricket, Visser says that the attention Taylor has brought to the team is crucial in getting their name out into the cricket scene.
“For someone of his calibre to be involved with the team is massive. And hopefully in four weeks time we will be celebrating a World Cup position,” Visser says.
“We don’t really have the resources like other countries do, like Australia where I am from.
“We’ve sacrificed so much to be here. A lot of us have taken time off work, unpaid, so for us to be here we are sacrificing a lot, so hopefully it comes good,”
The lack of resources did not stop Visser and his teammates from helping to fundraise for their World Cup qualifier, organising a recent dinner to raise money for the team just before they left.
“We are very grateful to the team and to the boys, especially the leadership team. They took this initiative to look for extra funds and funding to support the campaign,” Samoa Cricket CEO Sala Stella Siale Vaea says.
“You know, looking at parents that have travelled from Australia, Wellington and Christchurch, and all the families here in Auckland and even the families in Samoa, It’s that Samoan patriotism and that Samoan culture of loving one another and it’s one big family.”
And it’s that pride for family that Taylor hopes to channel when he runs out in the blue team colours of Samoa.
“Obviously we hope that we can grow the game in Samoa where it’s consistent and where we can play these tournaments at this level,” he says.
“But I think that it’s a nice thing that some of these players can go play for Samoa, play for Black Caps and Australia and maybe come back and play again.
“Like any Samoan, polynesian people, we’re proud people and we will give our best with what is in front of us, and hopefully we can do the Samoan and polynesian people proud.”
Samoa lost their opening match of the qualifiers to host-nation Oman but recovered well with a strong win against Papua New Guinea.
