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Moana Pasifika owners set to walk away from club, NZ media reports
- On Tuesday, Moana Pasifika owners, the Pasifika Medical Association , informed players and staff the franchise will cease operations after the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season due to lack of funding.
- PMA suffered a financial blow last year after losing a $44m government contract, while the club struggled to secure commercial sponsors and faced insurmountable logistical costs without a permanent Pacific Islands base.
- On-Field difficulties compounded these issues; the team sits at the bottom of the 11-team competition with a 1-7 record, while head coach Tana Umaga departs at season's end to join the All Blacks staff.
- Approximately 60 players and staff now face an uncertain future as the club seeks a new owner; without a buyer, their final match could occur on May 30 in Canberra against the Brumbies.
- The club's departure would leave Super Rugby Pacific as a 10-team competition from 2027, ending the 2021 project founded by Savae La'auli Sir Michael Jones and Tuifa'asisina Sir Bryan Williams to create a professional Pacific talent pathway.
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29 Articles
29 Articles
BLOW for Super Rugby as Moana Pasifika fold
Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika said on Wednesday that it will fold at the end of the season, becoming the second team in three years to go under because of financial problems. Moana Pasifika, founded in 2020 to provide a top-level pathway for players of Pacific heritage, blamed “financial, operational and strategic realities”. “Despite the tireless dedication of players, staff and supporters it is no longer viable to continue the franchise at t…
·Johannesburg, South Africa
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Sydney Morning Herald+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
‘Make it simple’: Calls for streamlined Super Rugby format after Pasifika’s collapse
The owners of Moana Pasifika have announced a “heartbreaking” decision to fold at the end of the year, meaning Super Rugby is set to return to the same size of its amateur days.
·Sydney, Australia
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources29
Leaning Left9Leaning Right2Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 39%
11%
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