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Moana Pasifika's shareholders have voted to appoint liquidators to the Super Rugby franchise's holding company, even as New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters insists 'good news' is coming for the club's survival. The move formalises what has been clear for months — the Pacific franchise is drowning financially, unable to sustain professional rugby operations without external intervention.
Peters, speaking at a Pacific business event, declined to detail what rescue package might be in play but promised clarity soon, leaving the franchise in administrative limbo as liquidation proceedings begin. New Zealand Rugby has previously signalled its commitment to keeping Moana Pasifika afloat for strategic and political reasons, despite the commercial case remaining threadbare. The holding company structure allows the playing entity to continue while creditors circle, a technical separation that buys time but solves nothing about the underlying model.
Moana Pasifika has struggled with attendance, sponsorship and financial viability since entering Super Rugby in 2022, its existence more political project than sustainable business. The franchise's future now depends on whether Wellington's chequebook follows Peters' optimism — or whether this is just another round of kicking the insolvency can down the road.
As reported by RNZ · Read the full article →