Moana Pasifika CEO keeps hope of last-minute lifeline to save side

There might be life in Moana Pasifika yet. After five years in Super Rugby, the franchise confirmed on Wednesday it had made the "difficult and heartbreaking decision" to disband at the end of the 2026 season due to financial pressures and structural challenges.

It followed reports Moana's Pasifika's owner, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), was cutting ties with the club in the face of a $10 million funding shortfall.

However Debbie Sorensen, who is chief executive of both the club and PMA, is still hopeful someone could step in to save the club.

"We're very hopeful that additional investors may come forward because often in this situation people who have extra resources haven't really thought about taking a franchise," Sorensen told Morning Report.

"We have previously gone out to market for investors and that didn't bear any fruit for us which leaves us in the position we are in now.

"It's not 100 percent that we are done and dusted, I think over the next few weeks it will become clear whether there are other parties that are interested."

She added: "I think we've got God on our side ... we are hopeful and we'll see over the next couple of weeks how that rolls out."

Sorensen said she had already been contacted by a potential party from overseas who could be interested.

"I think we'll see a bit of this movement over the next 10 days ... we're still exploring all financial options."

Sorensen, who is also the chief executive of the Pasifika Medical Association, which took over the club last year, said it was important that the team survived.

"We really believe this is a movement that needs to carry on. For Pacific communities and Pacific young men and women it provides hope, it provides a pathway to success."

Sorensen said running a Super Rugby team was tough.

"There needs to be a new funding model if Super Rugby is to survive in the long term."

Sorensen said the official announcement on Wednesday was particularly difficult for the players but they had a good mental health team to provide support.

Via RNZ