Moana Pasifika
Moana Pasifika were built to give players of Pacific heritage a professional home in Super Rugby. They played five seasons from 2022 to 2026 before money ran out, and the franchise will not take part in the 2027 competition. Their last game was a 21–19 win.
From a One-Off Match in 2020 to Super Rugby Pacific
The side first came together for a single game against the Māori All Blacks at Waikato Stadium on 5 December 2020, losing 28–21. A conditional licence followed in April 2021 and an unconditional one on 12 July 2021, and Moana Pasifika joined the new Super Rugby Pacific in 2022 alongside the Fijian Drua. The team was meant to represent Samoa, Tonga and the wider Pacific, with home games played in Auckland.
Their first Super Rugby win was 24–19 over the Hurricanes at Mt Smart Stadium in March 2022. In 2023 they hosted the Reds at Apia Park in Samoa, and in 2024 they played the Highlanders at Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku’alofa, the first Super Rugby game ever staged in Tonga.
Twelfth, Twelfth, Eleventh, Seventh
Aaron Mauger coached the first two seasons, which ended 12th with two wins in 2022 and 12th with one win in 2023. Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga took over for 2024 and the side climbed to 11th. In 2025, with All Black Ardie Savea signed as marquee player and captain, they won six of 14 games and finished 7th, the club’s best season. They also moved home games to North Harbour Stadium that year.
Liquidation and a Farewell Win in Canberra
On 14 April 2026 the board confirmed 2026 would be the last season. Chair Kiki Maoate called it “one of the hardest decisions we have ever made”. Owner the Pasifika Medical Association could no longer fund the club, and it went into liquidation in May owing a reported $8.2 million. On 24 June 2026 New Zealand Rugby said Moana Pasifika would not play in 2027 and rejected bids, including a joint one from the Samoan and Tongan governments. NZR said the door “remains open beyond 2027”, but Super Rugby Pacific will run with ten teams next season.
The final game came at GIO Stadium in Canberra on 30 May 2026. Down 14–0 early, Moana Pasifika came back to beat the play-off-bound Brumbies 21–19, with two tries from Patrick Pellegrini and a late one from Melani Matavao. They finished 2026 bottom of the table, but that win ended a 12-match losing run.
Miracle Faiʻilagi
Teal and Pacific Patterns
Dynasty Sport made every Moana Pasifika kit, using its Ecotek fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The 2026 home jersey had a teal base. Home designs carried Tatau, Tapa and Ngatu patterns from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Aotearoa, with the sun and sky from the club logo across the top and a canoe bow cutting through water at the bottom. There was also a white heritage jersey in 2025.
This FanFile covers Moana Pasifika as a club rather than one particular jersey. Check the crest, sponsor, manufacturer label and product code on your own shirt to identify its specific season and edition.
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Club Links
Sources & Further Reading
- Moana Pasifika: preview of the final match of 2026
- Rugby Australia: Moana Pasifika confirm departure from Super Rugby Pacific
- National Indigenous Times (AAP): NZ Rugby confirms no team for 2027
- PMN: farewell 21–19 win over the Brumbies
- Moana Pasifika shop: home jersey design notes
- Wikipedia: Moana Pasifika
Facts checked: 21 October 2026.