Moana Pasifika to disband after the season unless new owners are found

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Moana Pasifika Super Rugby franchise will disband at the end of the season unless new owners can be found. Moana Pasifika chairman Dr. Kiki Maoate on Wednesday said he'd made the “difficult and heartbreaking decision” that after five seasons in Super Rugby the team can no longer continue. The club said the decision was based on the financial, operational and strategic realities facing the team which is in last place in the championship standings after nine rounds. “This is one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. We are immensely proud of our players, staff and the community who have supported our team over the years,” Maoate said. “Across our rugby, pathways and community programs, we have been able to support a growing hub of Pacific talent across multiple sporting codes, both locally and in the Pacific region. This is something we are extremely proud of and will continue to support and advocate for as best we can.” Maoate said the club's commitment now “is to ensure a smooth transition for everyone affected and to celebrate our legacy by finishing the season strong.” Players have been told the owners will meet their financial obligations for the remainder of the 2026 season and support players to find new opportunities. Moana Pasifika was admitted to Super Rugby along with the Fijian Drua in 2022, joining long-established teams based in Australia and New Zealand. Over the past four seasons they have finished 12th, 12th, 11th and seventh. Supporters argue the team has been at a disadvantage from the start, unable to recruit the top Pasifika talent in New Zealand because of the number of players committed to other teams and by being based in Auckland, where the Blues already dominate the local market. Unless new owners step forward to take up the estimated $7 million annual operating costs, Super Rugby will become a 10-team competition next season. The Southern Hemisphere tournament currently has 11 teams after the dissolution of the Melbourne Rebels, also for financial reasons. The head coach of Moana Pasifika this season is former New Zealand All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, who is leaving to become an assistant to new All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie. Moana Pasifika was intended to offer more opportunities for players of Samoan and Tongan heritage to play professional rugby in the region and hoped eventually to be based in Samoa. That wasn't possible and the team found it difficult to establish a regular headquarters and fan base. \\\_ AP rugby: