Elliott Smith: Sportstalk host on Moana Pasifika's uncertain future following 2026 Super Rugby season

Moana Pasifika's inaugural head coach is saddened by the franchise's uncertain Super Rugby future.

The Pasifika Medical Association owners will not fund another campaign - leaving Moana in limbo.

Sportstalk host Elliott Smith speculates further about the side's future.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Elliott Smith's Sports Talk Hoosters. But that's ay ali is
I have so Muana Pacifica is they've made the announcement
today that it's over last season, I would say that
is it.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
I would say most likely, unless there's a savior out there,
some with very deep pockets that doesn't mind, you know,
having a bit of money thrown at a franchise for
the sake of owning a sports team, because you're not
going to turn a profit from owning it. But if
you have got enough of enough cash to go, it
doesn't matter to me that I just want to keep
more afloat. Then maybe there's someone out there, but I

(00:31):
can't think of too many contenders.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
That would be the generosity.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
It would be generosity because even the top sup rugby
teams in this country don't turn a profit, so this
is not the best one in the country, and they're struggling,
and they have been struggling for a few years or
basically ever since their inception, and it's hard to see
who that personal group might be to ban together and
save more on a Pacifica. So it's been death by
a thousand cuts. I think there's been no one factor

(00:56):
that goes, this is why they have, you know, not
via and not going to be back next year. But
it has been a long and arduous journey for them,
and again there are just so many factors that haven't
helped in their success or otherwise.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
So it sounds like the announcement that this would be
their last season has taken a few people by surprise,
like this was not supposed to happen this earlier in
the season, maybe next month, maybe the month thereafter. Has
it been brought to a head by the fact that
tana Umanga is going to the All Blacks. And if
you're going to start advertising for a new coach, you
need to be able to guarantee them beyond the season.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
And you also need to start signing players for next
season or resigning your current players and go right now. Yeah,
you would be. If they're players off contract after twenty
twenty six, then there'll be in conversations now to resign
for twenty twenty seven. If they're going to market and
trying to sign players from abroad bring them back home,
potentially Tongin or someone players, they'll want to know who
the coaches and they need to give some form of
guarantee now it would have become very obvious that if

(01:52):
they're not advertising for a coach on the lot discussions,
if the top brass aren't speaking about that at the club,
then it was probably all going to come to a head.
And I'm sure you know, these rumors about the PMA
pecific media a medical association have been around for some
time around their ability to keep funding this team. So
it was probably going to come to a hit at
some point, and it probably has been earlier in this

(02:13):
competition than they would have liked. You know, Super Rugby's
got it super Round next week, which is the big
showpiece event outside of the finals. That's you know, big
advertisement for the sport. Well, now it's going to be
overshadowed somewhat by the fact that one of the teams
is beyond fightings for its future. It's it's very much
on death store. Now.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
I see that Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby are going
to leave Eden Park. So the cricket's going to Colin.
Where's the rugby going.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, they're going to set up a facility somewhere where
they can base themselves out of I'm trying to think
we would work in Auckland maybe Trust Serena. There's been
talked previously about playing home games there, but you've also
got to have the ability to train there during the
week and how his staff and various other things. Whether
you could do that at Trust and not entirely sure,
but that's got the smaller model obviously, the smaller track.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Could they share it with could they share Mount.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Smart, could potentially sheer amounts some martam in the Warrior
season's tailing off, potentially that part of the season's club. Yep, yeah,
well more I used to play there.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Okay, why are we considering that?

Speaker 2 (03:10):
There could be an option, but again, you could have
three teams based out there. There may be an option
that they're looking at it. You know, Auckland's stadiums Walking
Council does own that, so that would be a lot cheaper,
I'm sure for Auckland Rugby particularly it's good for ed
it is good and look, they don't have to worry
about the aardaroval, they don't have to worry about NPC
games getting in the way of trying to attract a
Metallica or a Taylor Swift or whatever. They know they've

(03:31):
got a relatively clear schedule, so it's a good thing
for edom Park. And if that redevelopment, if that money
comes out of somewhere, if the person decides not to
fund Mowada Pacifica and decides to back Eaton Park instead,
then they can get on that redevelopment and not worry
about the Adder Oval and those two teams they love that.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Someone needs to have deep pockets here. Absolutely, thank you, Elliott.
As always Elliott Smith's sports Stalk Coast.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
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