The composite team lost their first ever match 28-21 to the Māori but led at half-time and kept challenging the defence until the end.
After a week of building combinations while celebrating the cultures and connections of the Pacific, Moana Pasifika coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said the performance of the combined pre-match cultural challenge, Tau Kaukawa, was an emotional moment.
He said it marked the beginning of what he hoped the Moana Pasifika would become.
