Moana Pasifika had a tough start after joining Super Rugby in 2022, but this season they are finally showing strong form, led by captain Ardie Savea. The Auckland-based team, created to give Pacific island players more opportunities, had won only 7 of 42 games in their first three seasons. But on Sunday, they grabbed their fifth win of this season with their first-ever victory over the Otago Highlanders in a close match in Dunedin.
This year, they also earned their first wins against the 14-time champions Canterbury Crusaders and the NSW Waratahs. Sunday’s win moved them up to sixth place in the standings, which would secure a playoff spot if they maintain it.
“We’re really proud of what we’ve done,” said coach Tana Umaga, who’s been with the team for two seasons. “We’ve put ourselves in a good spot to fight for a top-six place, and we’re happy about that.”
Umaga was especially impressed with their hard-fought 34-29 win, sealed by blocking a kick in the final minutes. “It wasn’t a pretty game, but it showed a lot of grit and determination,” he said. “Winning like this gives us confidence. When we focus, work together, and trust our game, we can achieve results like this.”
Savea, the All Blacks number eight and 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year, surprised everyone by joining Moana Pasifika this season. He has been in great form, scoring another fantastic try on Sunday.
Like Umaga, both Savea and his All Black brother Julian were born in New Zealand to Samoan parents and are part of the strong Pacific Islander group in the team. Other players, such as scrumhalf Melani Matavao, who scored the winning try on Sunday, and flanker Miracle Fai’ilagi, who has also played well this year, come directly from the Pacific islands, as Umaga described.
Together, they have built a tough team now just two wins away from reaching the playoffs for the first time, although their remaining games are challenging. After a break next week, they face Umaga’s former team, the defending champions Auckland Blues, and then play away against the top-ranked Waikato Chiefs and the Wellington Hurricanes, Savea’s former club.
Umaga said, “This is when good teams prove themselves at the end of the season. We have experienced players who have been through this before. We need to stay confident in who we are and focus on playing our game well—that’s the most important thing.”
