Former All-Blacks outhalf, Lima Sopoaga has shared that he feels the idea of ‘fan-ownership’ could be the way to save Moana Pasifika.
It was announced last week that Moana Pasifika would be disbanded at the end of the season. This has sent shockwaves through the rugby world and particularly members of the Pacific Island rugby community.
Sopoaga is a 16-time All Black who made the move to Samoa to play in the 2023 Rugby World Cup after his international eligibility had reset.
What has happened at Moana Pasifika?
Moana Pasifika currently sit rock bottom of Super Rugby Pacific with just one win this season. Last week, the ownership, Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), informed the Moana Pasifika staff that they cannot fund the team beyond the end of 2026.
The team was formed in 2022, being a Super Rugby franchise to represent the Pacific Islands such as Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
The club has been operating with running costs of $NZ10-12 million. In recent times, their revenue from returning sources has been less than $NZ4 million. PMA decided that they were no longer willing to cover the gap that was being left by subsidies and grants given to the franchise when they started, but these are now coming to an end or have been used up.
Lima Sopoana’s plans for Moana Pasifika
Sopoana took to social media after the news of the disbanding was announced to build support for others to bring their support out for the team. He initially called on wealthy individuals or groups to come out and take a chance to support rugby in the Pacific Islands, but in his most recent Instagram reel, he changed his tactic. The fly-half now feels that support for the Island Franchise could come from the people. He shared the maths, and it seems relatively achievable.
With operating costs of roughly $12 million, he said that 100,000 would only need to contribute $120 a year or $10 a month. He then broke down the multiples of getting more support and how many people it would take to pledge a small amount each month to keep the club running. Sopoaga linked the idea to the Green Bay Packers, a fan-owned NFL team, and to fan-owned football clubs. Exeter Chiefs are the main example in rugby currently of a fan-owned club, but in recent days, there have been links to new owners coming in to take over the club.
