For the Vanuatuan and Samoan national teams competing in next month's Pacifica Cup, there is more at risk than individual reputations and pride.

The tournament comes at a pivotal time for the game in both countries, with Vanuatu seeking to build on a successful development programme which sees 300 children playing Kanga cricket, and Samoa's local competition reestablished after a break of several years.

As players and officials of both countries told BTTW this week, credibililty gained or lost by its showing at the Pacifica Cup will be an important factor in securing mainstream acceptance.

"If we get annilihated there will be a lot of very disappointed people back home," an apprehensive Samoa Cricket Association President, Mr. Seb Kohlhase, warned.

"Papua-New Guinea has over a 1000 players and New Zealand Maoris reportedly have players with First Class experience - six months ago our first season started."

Vanuatu's Richard Tapwin said that as captain of the first national cricket to represent the country in an international tournament in 10 years, he felt the team had a responsibility for the reputation of Vanuatuan cricket.

"We want to prove that Vanuatuan cricket is developing and as a country we can play the game," Tapwin said.

He added that an impressive performance in Auckland would consolidate the positive steps forward made by the junior programme and boost cricket's standing in a country where soccer is the favoured past-time.

"Soccer is like a tradition," Tapwin explained. "Whereas with cricket, they don't understand it. If the 300 or so youngsters playing Kanga cricket know we have a national team playing in a tournament at this level, it gives them something to progress towards."

Tapwin forecast that the strength of the team, which has been training for three months for the tournament, would be its fielding. Vanuatu is in Pool A, alongside ICC Associate member, Fiji, Tonga and New Caledonia.

"We have an edge in the fielding, with quite a few players in the team younger than me," the 25-year-old said.

The team would also have a degree of familiarity with five players having previously toured Queensland's Sunshine Coast with a Vanuatuan combined team in 1998.

The Vanuatuans have overlooked players arguably better, but older, so therefore with less potential and less to gain from a tournament of this kind.

He said he was looking forward to negotiating the transition from matting wickets to turf and meeting the demands of the tournament schedule. "It should be a good learning experience for us, especially with playing cricket two or three days straight."

Were Tapwin not the captain, his versatility would also make him a key member of the team. He bowls left arm orthodox, and when required is a capable wicket-keeper, a role he has filled in club matches regularly.

He began playing cricket as a 15-year-old when a knee injury stopped him playing soccer. Looking for a sport to fill the void, Tapwin stumbled upon cricket at Vila's Malapoa College, which fields a team in the VCA competition.

Meanwhile, the Samoans are promising to go back to their cricketing roots for the opening 15 overs of their innings.

"Traditional Samoan cricket is all out attack - when we're batting there are no defensive shots and we'll be looking to take advantage of the field restrictions in the first 15 overs," Samoan captain, Ieremia Rati said.

"I would like to think a few of our guys are going to provide some excitement."

He said that while the team was going to Auckland mainly to gain experience, Rati said he was hoping to invoke the spirit of the Samoan rugby team of 1991.

"I am always reminded by people how our rugby team went to the World Cup in 1991 as an unknown quantity."

Rati said there was anticipation building in cricket in Apia about the pioneering nature of what would be the first Samoan national team to play in an international tournament.

"Everyone is excited at the experience, especially as it is a sport reestablishing itself. The players are young, and enthusiastic and very committed."

For Rati, it will be a homecoming of sorts, a return to his cricketing origins.

Although born in Samoa, he learnt the game while attending college in Wellington, New Zealand.

As an all-rounder, he represented a combined Wellington Business Houses XI against provincial under age teams.

It will be his first trip back to New Zealand, after returning to live in Samoa in 1995.

Mr. Kohlhase remains annoyed that the ICC, as organiser of the tournament, is not using the qualification rules employed by the International Rugby Board.

"In Rugby, if both your parents are Samoan, you can play for Samoa regardless of where you are born. In cricket, your parents can be Samoan, but then you must have lived here for five years. We have probably lost about five players who would have been in the side due to this rule."

© CricInfo