Source: Radio New Zealand
Moana Pasifika have had a forgettable start to their 22026 Super Rugby campaign. Photosport
It’s been a rough run for Moana Pasifika.
After an historic 2025, things have undoubtedly gone backwards at the franchise.
Last year’s campaign was carried by the unworldly form of Ardie Savea, as he took the team to its greatest heights to date.
But the fall has been brutal.
Sitting bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, on a six game losing streak, the party in Albany appears to be over.
To drive that point home, in what some might have seen as an intervention by the rugby gods, the lights were cut on the team during their last outing.
Head coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga said there had been a lot of reflection in the past fortnight.
“We had to take stock of where we’re at, learn from that, acknowledge it, and look at now what can we control? I don’t know if the goalposts have shifted. Obviously it’s just made it harder for us to achieve the goals we want and we’re in a spot that no one wants to be, but we’ve just got to work our way out of it. In all areas we can do better. We’ve got to move forward and we’ve got an opportunity to start this next block well.”
Despite their position, Umaga insists morale is still strong in the squad.
“We’re grateful, we practise gratitude every day. You look at what we get to do for a job with what’s happening in the world, some of these guys would never have had this opportunity if we weren’t around.”
Little has gone right for Moana this year, the power cut during their clash in Albany with the Highlanders an eerie omen.
Umaga expressed frustration at what seems like a cruel trick being played on the franchise.
“It’s one of those things you can’t control. It’s like we’re always parts of firsts here, this was [the] first time that something like that’s happened, and then everyone has to look at the rule book and what the process is, to continue or not continue. I’ve never seen it before, but now we have, and now there’s some protocols around it and a process. But yeah, frustrating because we were just probably getting our momentum in that period. And with such a long break, it stalled both sides, but there’s not much else you can do.”
Things don’t get much easier for Moana this weekend, who head to Rotorua to play the Chiefs – a side they have never beaten.
Darkening the clouds over the club is their continued fight to play games in Auckland.
“It’s a home game that’s in their home, so we’ve been through that before. Yet, we know there’s a community down there.”
One bright spot will be the long awaited debut of veteran lock Jimmy Tupou.
“It’s been a long time coming for him, being injured coming into the season, but he’s worked hard. He’s worked very, very hard to get to this point. He’s a player that has huge respect and experience, and that’s something that we need.”
As for the future of Moana, one thing that is known is that they will need a new head coach with Umaga departing for the All Blacks at the end of the season.
“We’re just going through that process at the moment because we have to think about that. We’ve got some very good coaches here and working with CEOs and chairmans around what does that look like? We want to make sure that Moana’s here for a long time.”
But Umaga says he’s fearful of that future.
“You always worry. It’s a tough business to be in and it’s never been a smooth sailing for us. Your concern goes from yourself to the players, to the staff that put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears around this. We know how much of a benefit it is to our young people and to the nations that we also represent.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand