Hard road ahead for Pasifika, Fiji

The feelgood factor from the Moana Pasfika v Ma¯ori All Blacks game has not lasted long, with New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson indicating that ‘‘a lot of work’’ needed to be done before Moana Pasifika and/or Fiji are included in Super Rugby in 2022.

The NZ Rugby board met on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including the future of Super Rugby, and Robinson’s update to the media yesterday was something of a reality check for those expecting the two potential new Super Rugby sides to be swiftly given the green light.

‘‘We’re very committed to doing our absolute best to see if we can make those teams a reality, but there’s a huge amount of work to be done, and we’re all very aware about the potential challenges in this area to make that happen,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘But it’s certainly something we’re very committed to investing a lot of time and energy of our people into making sure we can give it the best shot to get it going.’’

NZ Rugby’s unwillingness to give anything like a guarantee of inclusion will raise the alert levels of those involved in Pasifika rugby, who were already desperately disappointed that the Moana Pasifika side could not be included in next year’s competition. But it also reflects the complexity of the task at hand, with Robinson suggesting that playing rosters and facilities were only still at the ‘‘potential’’ stage.

The brutal reality for Moana Pasifika is that many of the players involved in the game against the Ma¯ori All Blacks are already contracted to Super Rugby teams, who have little desire to see their own rosters weakened.

Rising stars such as Highlanders No 9 Folau Fakatava might also entertain All Blacks ambitions, and see their future in black rather than Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. There is no shortage of coaching talent available but putting together a playing list that is immediately competitive will be a major challenge.