Moana Pasifika Faces Disbandment After 5 Seasons

0:00Moana Pasifika, the Pacific Rugby Squad and Super Rugby Pacific, faces disbandment at the end of the season unless new owners step up. After five seasons, the team sits dead last with just one win and seven losses, hit hard by financial woes that make their $7 million annual, cost too steep to sustain. The league will shrink back to 10 teams next year, following the Melbourne Rebels collapse last year for similar money troubles. Moana joined in 2022 alongside the Fiji and Jua, but ownership says the financial and operational realities just don't add up past 20. 26. Chairman Kiki Maawate called it one of the toughest calls ever, praising the players, staff, and fans who backed them through thick and thin. The focus now is on a smooth handover for everyone involved and ending strong to honor their run. Over four full seasons, they climbed as high as 7th but couldn't hold it, losing stars like all Black's Ace Arti Sivea to Japan and Coach Tana, Umaga to the national setup.

1:02Playing in near empty Auckland spots hurt as they failed to lock down bases in Samoa or Tonga or pull in top Pacific talent against local giants like the Blues. Still, Maawate highlights their lasting impact on pathways and community programs nurturing Pacific athletes across sports, vowing to keep pushing that, forward no matter what comes next. From your city, powered by AI, this is Sydney News Today, I'm Corey with The Story.