Samoa

The Samoans came to Australia aiming to gain some respect out of a tussle with the Wallabies and build confidence ahead of the World Cup.

Tiny Samoa, if not intent on stealing a march on the rest of the world, has set its sights on stealing time: 24 hours to be precise.

Samoa will jump back to the future in December when the Pacific nation switches time zones to make it easier to do business with New Zealand and Australia.

Henry Leiataua, who was born in Manono, a tiny island in the Samoan group, can be sure of a warm welcome when he returns with a container-load of aid materials for the tsunami-hit island early next year.

More than $30,000 raised for tsunami relief is headed to the Government of Samoa Tsunami Appeal Fund and the Red Cross Tongan Tsunami Relief Fund.

There is a sense of optimism among Samoans displaced by the recent tsunami