Moana Pasifika boss Tana Umaga wants his side to bow out gracefully when they play what could potentially be their final Super Rugby match this weekend.
Unless they gain a last-minute reprieve, the financially stricken outfit’s clash against the Brumbies in Canberra will be their last-ever match but Umaga wants his players to go out on a high.
Moana are firmly rooted to the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific standings after winning just one of their matches played this season and they have amassed a paltry five points.
That means they are just playing for pride in the tournament while the Brumbies are determined to clinch a victory as it will mean they secure fourth position in the table.
It was revealed last month that Moana would be axed from Super Rugby Pacific due to the financial burden placed on them.
This, after the Auckland-based franchise’s ownership confirmed that it would not continue funding the “unviable” operation beyond the current campaign.
Moana was established in 2020 to provide a top-level pathway for players of Pacific heritage, and they joined Super Rugby in 2022.
Unless new owners come to Moana’s rescue at the 11th hour, Super Rugby Pacific will have 10 competing clubs in 2027 after the Melbourne Rebels suffered a similar fate due to financial difficulties after the 2024 campaign.
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“We’ve got nothing to lose, and we’ve got to be confident in what we’re doing,” said Umaga, who will join new All Blacks boss Dave Rennie’s backroom staff as an assistant coach ahead of their upcoming Nations Championship Tests against France, Italy and Ireland in July.
“We want to get a good result for ourselves.”
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According to New Zealand media reports there are parties interested in acquiring Moana Pasifika’s licence, although no concrete offers have come to the fore yet.
Despite his team’s current situation Umaga, who is a former All Blacks captain, remains optimistic.
“There’s some positives, some good people just saying some positive things,” he told reporters.
“There’s hope and when there’s hope, there’s a way.”
After initially struggling in Super Rugby Pacific – where they finished at the bottom of the table in 2022 and 2023 and 11th in the 12-team tournament in 2024 – Moana were much more competitive in 2025 when they finished seventh.
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