Tonga and Cook Islands rugby chiefs have gone public with fresh backing for Kanaloa Rugby’s bid to take over Moana Pasifika, arguing the decision about the Super Rugby Pacific licence must be driven by Pacific interests and not decided without close consultation with island unions. The comments — from Tonga Rugby Union chief executive Aisea Aholelei and Cook Islands Rugby Union president Simiona Teiotu — mark the latest development in a fast-moving contest over the future of the franchise, which is expected to exit Super Rugby Pacific after the 2026 season amid financial strain.
Aholelei told PMN’s Pacific Huddle that the Pacific contribution to global rugby is impossible to ignore. “Pasifika Rugby cannot be ignored,” he said, pointing to the visible presence of Pasifika players across professional and international rugby. He argued that placing a professional team closer to home would not only provide better pathways for players but would also strengthen Pacific national teams by allowing unions to monitor and develop talent locally. “It is very, very important that they are here at home playing in a professional setup,” Aholelei said, adding that full professional structures can lift coaches, administrators and grassroots development as well as players.
In a notable disclosure, Aholelei said Tonga Rugby had not been contacted by New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters over the issue despite Peters’ public remarks that New Zealand officials were working with stakeholders to secure Moana Pasifika’s future. “We haven’t heard anything from a union perspective,” Aholelei said, while welcoming any support that would “move Moana Pasifika forward.” Peters told Pacific leaders in Apia that New Zealand is urgently exploring ways to ensure the franchise’s sustainability, warning that losing Moana Pasifika would be a major blow for the region.
Teiotu explained why the Cook Islands union has formally thrown its weight behind the Kanaloa bid, saying the Kanaloa consortium engaged directly with his union and presented practical proposals for grassroots rugby and player development. “They are the ones who initially reached out to us,” he said. The Cook Islands support was part of a bundle of endorsements PMN’s Pacific Mornings revealed last week, which included backing from the rugby unions of Sāmoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue. Tracy Atiga, who has been publicly associated with Pacific-led efforts, previously confirmed the formal support.
Both Aholelei and Teiotu acknowledged persistent challenges in the islands that make a locally focused professional franchise attractive but difficult to sustain: shrinking player pools as young people emigrate in search of work and education, and the limited resources of small unions. Teiotu warned that population decline has seen many players leave the Cook Islands, but said grassroots rugby remains strong and the Kanaloa proposal’s emphasis on community-level plans was an important factor in winning support.
New Zealand Rugby has told PMN any prospective buyer will need to show a long-term, sustainable business plan as it assesses multiple proposals for Moana Pasifika’s licence beyond 2026. The endorsements from Pacific unions — while not determinative of who ultimately acquires the licence — increase political and moral pressure on New Zealand Rugby and other stakeholders to ensure Pacific voices are central to the franchise’s future. Supporters of Kanaloa say a Pacific-led professional setup could create jobs and development pathways not only for players but for coaches, referees, administrators and support staff across the region.
The immediate next step will be for New Zealand Rugby to evaluate the competing bids; for Pacific unions the priority is clear, according to Aholelei and Teiotu: any new structure must anchor Pacific development at home rather than leave islands on the periphery of decisions about their representative franchise.