Former All Blacks Jeff Wilson says it would be unrealistic to expect NZ Rugby to shell out money to keep Moana Pasifika afloat when the New Zealand teams are losing money.
Wilson said that while he sympathised with Moana Pasifika’s situation, it announced last week it would disband from Super Rugby Pacific at the end of the season, he believed NZ Rugby shouldn’t be expected to be the saviour of the beleaguered club.
Speaking on The Breakdown show on Sky Sport, Wilson said it was the players and coaches, first and foremost, that he felt sorry for.
“The organisation itself, I think, lost its vision for what it was supposed to be created for,” Wilson said.
Having noted the creation of Moana Pasifika in 2022 was to build a pathway for Pacific Island players, Wilson said the club needed to find a way to be based on the islands where it could enable talented players to flourish.
The club, he said, focused too much, initially, on winning games instead of finding a home in either Samoa or Tonga.
Wilson went on to say the five clubs in New Zealand had financial issues of their own, and would struggle to turn a profit in 2026.
“It is a tough one, though. Because when you talk about resourcing, all of the New Zealand teams are going to lose money this year,” Wilson said.
Modest crowds continue to be a concern for clubs and hosting playoff games could determine whether the 2026 season is a financial success. The top three teams will host the first round of sudden-death games on the first weekend of June.
As it stands, the Chiefs and Hurricanes, both on 31 points, sit at the top of the competition table. They are followed by the Blues (29), Brumbies (25), Reds (22) and the defending champion Crusaders (21).
NZ Rugby, meanwhile, posted a book loss of $19.5 million (US$11.48 million) for the 2024 financial year. It has yet to release its figures for last year.
“So, to suggest NZ Rugby has to bankroll the entire Moana Pasifika organisation, I don’t think is fair,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“There has to be an agreed principle, whether or not it is World Rugby. The issue is that investment has been made for the past five years and it hasn’t worked.
“So, I think it is delivering what they originally decided was why they wanted to be in the competition. I think that is the most important thing for me. If they are going to be saved, it can’t just be one year here, it has to have a real purpose and find a home.”
Wilson said there needed to be a collective effort between World Rugby, Sanzaar and NZ Rugby to help Moana Pasifika.
“I don’t think NZ Rugby, who have their own financial pressures right now – they have lost how many million over the last few years – you can’t expect them to keep dipping into that well.
“And we do invest a lot in the game, and a lot of these players are playing in NPC rugby which NZ Rugby pays for. That’s a significant amount of money every year.”
Unless a new owner can be found for Moana Pasifika, the competition will be reduced to 10 teams.
Another former All Black, Mils Muliaina, was also on The Breakdown panel and said that if NZ Rugby invested in Moana Pasifika there needed to be commitment for the club to be based in either Samoa or Tonga.
He suggested a partnership with the governments in either country.
He used the Drua, who play their home games in Fiji, as an example.
“If you are asking NZ Rugby to stump up more funds for it, it is another New Zealand team,” Muliaina said. “You want to invest a small amount for them to actually go and thrive.’”
Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga, speaking after his side lost to the Waratahs in Sydney last Friday night, reiterated how difficult it was for clubs to thrive in a challenging market.
“It’s a tough, old gig for everyone in Super Rugby,” Umaga said. “If you talk to any club, no one is bristling or financially safe, for lack of a better word,” he said.
