Moana Pasifika 2023
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From what Newshub said, the problems at MP are far greater than Mauger. Video in article below.
Super Rugby Pasifika: Losing culture taking toll on Moana Pasifika, as coach Aaron Mauger exits early | Newshub
The Super Rugby newcomers have not won a game in their second season.
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Players refusing to re-sign while Mauger was there.
Rugby Direct: Coach Aaron Mauger to depart Moana Pasifika
This week on Rugby Direct, Elliott and Liam discuss the breaking news out of Moana Pasifika that coach Aaron Mauger has resigned as head coach and won't be
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A paywalled article in the herald mentions Pasifika are investigating playing fewer games at Mt Smart. The cost of hiring the venue is high and they've had tiny crowds
Next year their may only be two games at Mt Smart. Other home game possibilities were the islands, Henderson & Whangarei. Napier was mentioned but sounded less likely
Just base the team in the islands. It's the only chance of success
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@Bovidae I found this comment interesting: "I would like to think that the combination of Moana Pasifika, plus Fijian Drua, is bringing in fresh elements to rugby, that it's enabling us to provide a better product," he said.
Good to see Pacific Islanders finally getting interested in the game.
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@Pepe said in Moana Pasifika 2023:
I'm sure Northland rugby supporters would find it ironic that the next long-awaited Super game they host could be MP versus the Blues...
It will be against rebels or force or something, blues will be one of the few at Mt smart
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Part of the reason for the success of the Drua is the home base being in Fiji. More complicated with the composite nature of Moana Pasifika, but it should start somewhere. It's got be the point of these teams right? Improve the intrastructure and exposure of Rugby in the islands and make staying in this part of the world a viable sporting career?
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@Kirwan Yeah, but there's a big difference between the Drua and MP: the majority of the Drua players are actually from Fiji. Most MP players were born and raised in NZ, and have their families here. Plenty of MP players who aren't from the Auckland area go back to their home province on a regular basis, which will become more difficult if they're based in - say - Apia.
Unless there are a lot of Miracle Fai'ilagi's to be discovered in the Islands, MP will have a hard time filling its squad with players who have come through the system locally (in the Islands).
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@Stargazer that's why I said "this part of the world" as opposed to be being in the islands. I know they have to be based in Auckland, but if they can't even have a handful of games in Samoa or Tonga then what exactly is the point of this team?
Drua and Fiji is a clear story, fanbase, development path.
MP being a second Auckland team is just diluting the Blues, it needs to have stronger links to the islands. If it's just being filled with NZ born PI players how does that help NZ Rugby or Samoa and Tonga?
On a parallel path, they should be trying to get more Northen Hemishere based players back over this way. We are much better than their clubs for releasing players back to International Teams, that would have a huge effect on the strength of those teams.
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@Kirwan said in Moana Pasifika 2023:
I know they have to be based in Auckland, but if they can't even have a handful of games in Samoa or Tonga then what exactly is the point of this team?
The Mt Smart games have been a failure.
Perhaps for the games in NZ they should have a financial arrangement with the Blues, and maybe Canes, to have double headers at Eden Park/The Cake Tin?
Of course that would require co-ordination when the draw is created
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@Stargazer said in Moana Pasifika 2023:
@Kirwan Yeah, but there's a big difference between the Drua and MP: the majority of the Drua players are actually from Fiji. Most MP players were born and raised in NZ, and have their families here. Plenty of MP players who aren't from the Auckland area go back to their home province on a regular basis, which will become more difficult if they're based in - say - Apia.
Unless there are a lot of Miracle Fai'ilagi's to be discovered in the Islands, MP will have a hard time filling its squad with players who have come through the system locally (in the Islands).
Good players in the islands either get scholarships into NZ/ Oz or go to Europe. MP's squad are largely players that would be squad members in other SR teams.
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@Bovidae If MP still wants to try to win a game, they'll have to field the best possible squad and that means selecting Aumua. That's what I would do.
If they've truly given up, don't care about their fans and use their last games for development purposes, then - indeed - they'll select players who are staying, but I understand that still many players have to re-sign, so how many 2024-signed players do they have to select from?
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@Bovidae said in Moana Pasifika 2023:
It will be interesting to see if Aumua is selected for their last 2 games. I wouldn't pick him, and would give a player who you know will be there in 2024 a chance.
That seems a bit emotional, would you expect all Super teams to do the same with end of contract players?
Joint statement from Head Coach Aaron Mauger and Chair La’auli Savae Sir Michael Jones of Moana Pasifika – Moana Pasifika
