Moana Pasifika

Moana Pasifika's final pre-season match is likely to be cancelled this weekend after a member of its training squad, who was with the team before it headed to Queenstown, was deemed a close contact.

A Blues player has also been deemed a close contact and is now isolating at the team's Queenstown hotel.

Players from both teams have so far returned negative results after rapid antigen tests but New Zealand Rugby's Chris Lendrum said they're waiting on more definitive PCR tests.

It was just their second-ever fixture after their one-off defeat to the Maori All Blacks in December 2020.

Lotu Inisi scored Moana's only try which was converted by Christian Lealiifano.

Head coach Aaron Mauger was putting on a brave face following the loss, but emphasised that many inexperienced players in the squad have now had a taste of what Super Rugby is all about.

The game will be played in three 30-minute blocks, allowing the coaches to test the full depth of their squad.

This is an historic occasion for Moana Pasifika being the first time the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific squad will play on their home ground, Mt Smart Stadium (kick off 7.05pm).

Under the current government restrictions, no spectators are allowed at the match. However, Sky Television have partnered with Moana Pasifika and will have live coverage in New Zealand from 6.30pm. The match will also be free to air on Prime.

Due to New Zealand's shift to the Covid-19 red light setting, the Queenstown match on February 14 had been called off.

The franchise, though, hoped the match could still be played in a different location.

"This is a difficult pill to swallow for the Highlanders," Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said.

"We would also like to acknowledge all the local contractors and suppliers who have worked with us for the last two years and the local community, especially kids, who ultimately lose out at the end of the day."

The Auckland-based club take to the field for the first time on Friday, February 4 (7.05pm kickoff), in a pre-season fixture against the Chiefs at Mt Smart Stadium, and all proceeds, and donations, from the match will go towards supporting the ‘Ofa Atu Tonga’ (Love You Tonga) disaster relief efforts.

Moana Pasifika Trust chair, Savae Sir Michael Jones, said it would ensure added meaning to what was already going to be an historic occasion.

The side confirmed on Monday that Southland head coach Dale MacLeod and former Blues, Chiefs and Sunwolves prop Pauliasi Manu will join Moana Pasifika for its inaugural season.

Together, the pair join head coach Aaron Mauger and assistant coach Filo Tiatia on the Moana Pasifika coaching team.

MacLeod joins the franchise as a defence coach after having served as Southland assistant coach in 2018 and 2019, and then as head coach between 2020 and 2021.

While players were gradually revealed over the last six weeks, Monday marked another major milestone for Moana Pasifika as their first ever squad was confirmed, with former Highlanders and Crusaders outside back Tima Fainga'anuku completing the 38-man roster.

A Pacific Island franchise in Super Rugby has been a long time coming but having only been granted an unconditional licence in July, Moana Pasifika have worked around the clock to build the team from scratch.

The squads were announced exclusively to fans over the past two months and were finalised alongside teams unveiled by New Zealand and Australia.

Moana Pasifika completed it's playing roster yesterday with the announcement of former Highlanders and Crusaders outside back, Tima Fainga'anuku.

The 38-man squad is brimming with international and domestic experience, including former Wallabies veterans Sekope Kepu and Christian Leali'ifano, alongside several sons of Samoa and Tonga's international sides.

Each of New Zealand's five Super Rugby Pacific squads have been bolstered by notable players who were plying their trade on foreign shores in 2021 including Beauden Barrett (Blues), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), TJ Perenara and Dominic Bird (Hurricanes), Pablo Matera (Crusaders) and Marty Banks and Rhys Marshall (Highlanders).

There has also been some movement on the transfer market with 12 players making a move between New Zealand's five clubs, and a further nine players moving to a newly minted Moana Pasifika squad featuring Wallabies veterans Sekope Kepu and Christian Lealifano.

But the star signing for Moana Pasifika's inaugural Super Rugby Pacific campaign didn't think it would be in week one.

"There's no hiding now," he joked over the phone from Canberra, where he is in the process of packing up his life before making the big move to Auckland with his family.

"It will be cool - I'm really excited that it's going to be round one and first game for Moana and who better than my old team.

"It's a club that's been a big part of my life and a club that's always going to be really special to me as well."