Moana Pasifika

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Moana Pasifika
150px
Union New Zealand Rugby
Founded 2020; 4 years ago (2020)
Ground(s) Mt Smart Stadium
(Capacity: 30,000)
Coach(es) Tana Umaga
Captain(s) Sekope Kepu
League(s) Super Rugby Pacific
2023 12th overall
Team kit
Official website
moanapasifika.co.nz

Moana Pasifika is a rugby union team made up of players from various Pacific Island nations as well as New Zealand or Australian born players of Pasifika heritage, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

The team was originally created for a one-off match against the Māori All Blacks in December 2020, with the future intention of trying to join the Super Rugby competition.

On 14 April 2021, New Zealand Rugby confirmed the side had been granted a conditional licence to join the Super Rugby competition.[1]

On 12 July 2021, the team was granted an unconditional licence, confirming them for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[2]

The team played its inaugural Super Rugby match on 4 March 2022.

History

On 24 November 2020, Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga named a 26-man squad for the match against the Māori All Blacks on 5 December 2020.[3][4] The team was made up of New Zealand-based players who were international or sevens capped by a Pacific team or identified with a Pacific region. On 5 December 2020, the team played their first match, against the Māori All Blacks at Waikato Stadium. Captained by Sydney born Samoan international Michael Ala'alatoa the side lost to the Māori 28–21.

Super Rugby

Following the conclusion of the 2020 Super Rugby season, the licences for the South African Super Rugby sides; the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]], the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]], the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]] and the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]], the Argentine [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]] and the Japanese [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]] all expired.[5] The 2021 Super Rugby season, still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, was played in two regionalised tournaments featuring the five New Zealand Super Rugby sides and the four Australian Super Rugby sides, plus the Western Force who had returned to the tournament having lost their licence at the end of the 2017 Super Rugby season. However, from 2022 onwards a new 12-team tournament had been mooted, and on 13 November 2020, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced Moana Pasifika, along with the Fijian Drua as its preferred partners to join the competition.[6] Further steps were made in March 2021, when the New Zealand Rugby Union agreed to a sharing of broadcast revenue with both Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua,[7] and this was followed later in the same month by World Rugby announcing financial, high performance and administrative support for both potential new sides, in order to boost the performances of Pacific Islands at international level, while also being able to stay local instead of heading overseas.[8]

On 14 April 2021, both sides were granted conditional licenses to join Super Rugby in 2022 by the New Zealand Rugby Union.[9]

On 12 July 2021, the team were granted an unconditional licence, confirming them for the 2022 Super Rugby season.[2]

On 30 August 2021, the side was confirmed in Super Rugby for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, beginning with the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[10]

Moana Pasifika will be based in South Auckland, Auckland Region, and will play their fixtures at Mt Smart Stadium until 2028.[11] On the following day, Dynasty Sport was announced as the supplier for the team's on-field kit.[12] Aaron Mauger was then announced as the first coach of the team on 30 September 2021.[13]

On 15 November 2021, the schedule for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season was announced, with Moana Pasifika's inaugural match against the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]] in Auckland.[14]

On 2 February 2022, Sekope Kepu was named as the inaugural captain of the Moana Pasifika franchise.[15]

Moana Pasifika played its inaugural Super Rugby game on 4 March 2022, a 12–33 loss to the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]]. In that historic game, loose forward Solomone Funaki scored the franchise's first ever try.[16] 3 weeks later, Moana Pasifika won its first Super Rugby game against the [[{{{tan}}}|{{{t}}}]] at Mt Smart Stadium, winning 24–19.

Current squad

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For player movements before and during the 2023 season, see List of 2022–23 Super Rugby transfers § Moana Pasifika.

The squad for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season is:[17][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6]

Moana Pasifika Super Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Loose forwards

Halfbacks (scrum-halves)

First five-eighths (fly-halves)

Midfielders (centres)

Outside backs
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped, DEV denotes a development squad player, ST denotes a short-term signing, 12px denotes a player ruled out for the season with injury.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mau'u wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced in the side for Round 1.[18]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Asomua wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced as a late inclusion in the side for Round 1.[19]
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Leavasa Jr. wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced in the side for Round 3.[20]
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jones wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced in the side for Round 8.[21]
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Royal wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced in the side for Round 12.[22]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wye wasn't named in the original Moana Pasifika squad, but was announced as a late inclusion in the side for Round 12.[23]

Coaching staff

The following coaching team was appointed for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season:[13][24][25]

Name Title
Tana Umaga Head coach
Filo Tiatia Assistant coach
Dale MacLeod Defence coach
Pauliasi Manu Scrum coach

Historic squads

See also

References

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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