Kefu: Pacifika team would be catalyst for Cup success
TONGA head coach Toutai Kefu believes a Pasifika team in Super Rugby would prove attractive to top stars like Semi Radrada, Charles Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa and lay the platform for a Pacific Island assault on World Cup glory.
New Zealand intransigence makes it unlikely a Pasifika franchise within a revamped Rugby Aotearoa competition can be established before 2022, but former Australia No.8 Kefu says the region is crying out for an island presence.
Kefu, currently on World Tens duty in Bermuda, told TRP: “Super Rugby is at a crossroads at the moment so any injection of a Pasifika team, either in New Zealand or Australia, would create a great amount of excitement.
“It was a strange decision by New Zealand not to invite a team in next year, but there’s an opportunity from 2022 to revisit that so I hope a Pasifika team will happen. We could put together a really good team.
“We wouldn’t access all our best players but there’d be a few marquee guys we could who are superstars. I’m taking about people like Radrada, Piutau and Fekitoa, being supported by good Super Rugby players.
“We’d use the Pasifika team for all three countries – Tonga, Samoa and Fiji – as a vehicle for development and mix in stars from all three. I’ve no doubt it could be the catalyst for World Cup success in future.”
Kefu, a World Cup winner with the Wallabies in 1999, is currently sweating on a new contract with Tonga after being stood down since the World Cup.
The Tongan-born back row explained: “At the moment, Tonga is under suspension due to our poor governance. Historically, we’ve always had issues around our administration and a certain amount of corruption and nepotism.
“I’ve been Tonga head coach for the last four years and we’ve had a fair level of governance issues, which basically means I and my coaches have been running the team ourselves.
“World Rugby have said, ‘Enough, you need to get your house in order’, so until we show proper structures and processes, we won’t be allowed to play.
“My contract ran out post-World Cup but I’ve been told I may get an opportunity to continue. I’d love to do another World Cup cycle because I think there’s a huge potential within the Tongan team.
“If we can get access to the players who want to play for us, I’d have no doubt we can make the World Cup knock-outs.”
Meanwhile, Kefu is preparing the Asia Pacific Dragons for their assault on the inaugural World Tens Series which kicks-off today.
He added: “I’m a huge fan of the Tens format, more so than 7s as there’s more of a set-piece focus and more collisions in a traditional sense. It’s just like 15s, only with a lot more space so I think it will entice a new audience.”