Moana Pasifika eager to start new chapter in style
As one long rugby season comes to a close on the fifth night of summer, one hoped-to-be long rugby journey is just starting for Moana Pasifika.
At Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato tonight, one end of the spectrum will see the Ma¯ori All Blacks and all their storied history, but, in an almost perfect reflection, facing off with them will be the composite Pacific side, under the banner of the entity which is slated to join the professional scene.
Moana Pasifika are understood to be New Zealand Rugby’s preferred Pacific Islands representative for a
different feeling when you’re playing Ma¯ori rugby,’’ he says. ‘‘It’s just something inside you, like you’re playing for the brother next to you.’’
What helps grow the team cohesion no end is the amount of time the Ma¯ori side spend doing revamped 2022 Super Rugby competition. While the players and coaches in action this weekend may or may not be the same as some who eventually join the entity’s ranks, these are nonetheless important first tentative steps for the organisation.
‘‘One hundred per cent,’’ was coach Tana Umaga’s response when asked by Stuff whether this was a chance to set the ball rolling in style.
‘‘We’ve been knocking on this door since Sir Bryanwilliams’ days, and Sir Michael Jones’ days. And now it’s finally been opened. So this group understands the importance, and how huge that is for us.’’
Umaga said a good result would
non-rugby things during their week of preparation.
There is training thrown in for goodmeasure, but connecting to iwi and learning more about each other’swhakapapa is of utmost importance.
‘‘It’s bigger than rugbywhen be important but there was also an almost bigger responsibility in the way they approached the fixture.
‘‘We want to put on a showcase of Pacific Island rugby, so we’ve got to make sure that we do that well.’’
So, in this one-off exhibition, even with some wet weather forecast, one shouldn’t expect a string of set pieces and kicks even if captain Michael Alaalatoa, a prop of course, wasn’t quite prepared to put scrummaging completely out of the picture.
‘‘Pretty much all of us in this team have grown up playing in New Zealand, so we want to be smart about the way we play, and if there’s
you’re in this team,’’ Messam says. ‘‘Rugby’s the vehicle that gets us to shine, but there’s obviously bigger and deeper things that are more important.’’
So, for each player, and even staff member, they have to deliver their pepeha (an introductory aspects of the game where we need to go back to what we know which is what we’ve learned here in New Zealand, then we’ll do that,’’ he told Stuff.
‘‘We’re not here to be happy with losing. We’re here to win. But I think the thing that we want to hang our hat on is putting a performance out that our people will be proud of.
‘‘We’re emptying the tank and giving this game everything that we’ve got. It’s our last game for the year, but also, at the same time, it’s the first game for this team.
‘‘So we want to start this team off on a high and hopefully we can build some momentum into whatever the
speech about oneself), describing where they’re from, their background and the like.
Messam said Monday night’s ceremonies was one of the most powerful he’d been a part of, with everyone standing so proud and confident, with even half a dozen plans are for this team in the future.’’
While the rugby will bind the side together come kickoff, central to the team’s preparation has been their non-rugby work, where they have spent plenty of time connecting off the paddock, aided by their own cultural advisor, who has told them stories about how Pacific Islanders migrated between islands and eventually made their way to New Zealand.
‘‘It’s important for us to learn a bit about our own cultures, but about the other boys’ cultures as well, and see the similarities and differences. So that’s been powerful,’’ Alaalatoa said.
doing theirs in te reo. ‘‘It’s a great way for us to connect as a team, and it’s a greatway for those players who maybe haven’t been brought up through that side of life, which is all good,’’ he says.
‘‘Our kaumatua said it’s not a test, it’s just a greatway to learn a
back home or who haven’t sought after where they’re from before.
‘‘That’s the beauty of it too, because when they come into the team everyone gets a bit more eager to learn more, and eager to go back home and learn a lot more,’’ he says.
The Ma¯ori will then carry their heritage with them ontofmg Stadiumwaikato.
This will be the 20th year the team perform their Tı¯matanga haka – which describes the evolution of life and the creation of New Zealand from the four winds – and even the jersey they wear into battle carries unique significance.
‘‘Wewear all our people on us, all our past players, all our ancestors,’’ Wainui says.
‘‘On one side of our jerseys we’ve got Rangi and Papa, representing the women’s side and the man’s side. In Ma¯ori, we always represent awoman and a man, because withoutwomen we wouldn’t be here. So it’s quite cool.’’
And even though today gives the Ma¯ori side the chance to build on their impressive history of victories, Messam says the scoreboard has always been secondary in his mind when turning out for this team, where there are bigger factors to play for.
‘‘For me, personally, it’s got nothing to do with results, even though that Ma¯ori team has a great success rate.
‘‘Win or loss, [I’m] just really proud to be in this team. As long as we’re leaving our legacy and making sure we’re enhancing the mana of that jersey.’’