Fijian Drua's Selestino Ravutaumada in action during the Day 2 of the Super Round Melbourne 2024, Moana Pasifika v Fijian Drua at AAMI Park in Melbourne Australia. Saturday 2 March 2024. Photo: Raghavan Venugopal / www.photosport.nz
Opinion - They have had three years in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
They are longer the new kids on the block.
They've been though baptisms of fire, learning the hard way.
They should now should be matured enough to take on the best and finish above the best.
Their initiations into professional rugby been through the best possible way, playing against some of the world's top players in the code.
Both the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika squads announced on Tuesday, have players who have been there and done that.
Take the Drua, for example. Their core players have been together for three years.
This includes new co-captains Tevita Ikanivere and Frank Lomani, former captain Ratu Meli Derenalagi, Olympic silver medallist Selestino Ravutaumada, fullback Ilaisa Droasese, double Olympic medallist Iosefo Masi, Simione Kuruvoli, Peni Matawalu, Isoa Nasilasila, Mesulame Dolokoto and Zuriel Togiatama.
The players have also been together for the Flying Fijians since the Pacific Nations Cup in 2023, meaning they had also played in the same team at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup, and most are currently on tour with the Flying Fijians as well.
That included defeating England at Twickenham and Wales in Cardiff.
All five new signings for 2025 are Flying Fijians, who are expected to make a big impact on the competition.
Three squad members were silver medallists in Rugby 7s at the Paris Olympics.
Peni Ravai, who has run on for the Flying Fijians 50 times, joins the Drua from the Queensland Reds, where he had played in the last two seasons.
Tough centre Inia Tabuavou joins the side from Racing 92 in France's Top 14 competition, where he made eight appearances and scored two tries.
Vuate Karawalevu, who featured for the NSW Waratahs in 2024, also returns to Fiji and will compete for a back three spot in a squad.
The 23-year-old made his debut for the Flying Fijians in the Pacific Nations Cup game against Samoa in August, and is one player the Fijian national team head coach Mick Byrne has singled out as having the potential to be a big star.
Paris Olympics silver medalist Ponipate Loganimasi, currently on tour duty with the Flying Fijians, has also been named in the squad, alongside tough flanker Joseva Tamani, who re-joins the Drua from the Colomiers Rugby Club in France's Pro D2 competition.
The Fijian Drua performing the Na Bole before a Super Rugby Pacific clash. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson said it is a well-balanced squad, with a lot of experienced hands coming in.
"It's a very well-balanced side. We haven't lost many players from last year and the ones that we've brought in have experience, mostly from overseas," he said.
"You'll see guys like Joe Tamani coming back from France - he gave us excitement for the first two years, and he missed the third year. So, we've for a good balance in what still a very young team."
Co-captains Ikanivere and Lomani are both experienced hands now.
"(I'm) really excited and pretty emotional because I didn't really expect to be called up to be co-captain with Tex (Ikanivere). Three years into this competition and going onto the fourth year, this team has come a long way. And being there since year one, I'm excited to be here with the Drua," Lomani said.
The Drua finished 2023 and 2024 in the top eight, but lost in the quarterfinals both times.
2025 will see the top six teams make it into the quarterfinals, in a new format that aims to make the season shorter but give more game-time to each teams.
Unfortunately, the club have never won any away games in the past three years, except against their fellow islanders in Moana Pasifika.
Moana changed the script this year, defeating the Drua in Melbourne, and went one better by winning away too.
The question is: Can the Drua improve and go up another notch in 2025?
The onus will be on the players to re-produce their winning performances at home in the new season, and extend that to some of their outings in Aotearoa and Australia.
Moana Pasifika's Lotu Inisi scores a try. Photo: Copyright © Photosport Ltd 2024 www.photosport.nz
Savea heralds new Moana look
Moana has the distinction of arguably the biggest Super Rugby acquisition of all time in All Blacks co-captain Ardie Savea.
The tough loosie has gone North from the capital, having last played for the Hurricanes in the 2023 Super season, spending this year on sabbatical making some money in Japan.
Then there's returning former Chiefs winger Solomon Alaimalo, who spent the season in the NRL with West Tigers.
Tough Tongan internationals Sione Havili-Talitui and Lotu Inise, plus Manu Samoa's Miracle Faailagi, will team up with Ardie, who will also reunite with his older brother and former All Black, Julian.
Moana Pasifika head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said the team aims to "bust the door open" in 2025.
He has named a strong core group of players from 2024, with the addition of some exciting new players.
A total of 14 new signings, seven are new to the Moana Pasifika environment.
"It's exciting, we've got a new group of players and a new group of staff coming on board in 2025 for Moana Pasifika. I think the caliber of all these people is going to lift Moana Pasifika from where we've been," Umaga said.
"The likes of Ardie Savea, Pone Fa'amausili, Solomon Alaimalo, Jackson Garden-Bachop, these guys who are experienced in Super Rugby will add to the experience we've already got that took us to where we got to last year.
"We had some close games last year where we could compete for long minutes. I think if we had some more experience in certain areas then we might've been able to turn those games into wins.
"We've got a lot of young players coming through too. Tito Tuipulotu is coming through and some of these guys who had a season with injury like Miracle Faiilagi who didn't play as much as he wanted to last year.
"We've also got some seasoned campaigners that have been part of our movement for a long time. Like Jonathan Taumateine and Danny Toala who have grown up in the Moana Pasifika environment. They know what it's about and feel a real big part of that."
Moana Pasifika believe signing All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea will be a "game changer" for the Super Rugby side and strengthen the future of the franchise. Photo: Pasifika Medical Association Group
Many felt this year that Moana Pasifika were unlucky to miss out on the top eight.
They had been competitive in most of their games but just could not convert those into winning points that mattered.
This year, the team finished 11th and claimed four wins - the best record so far in their third year of existence.
They had stayed within reach of a quarterfinal spot up until Round 11 of the 2024 season, sitting on ninth spot but then dropped to 10th and then finished 11th at the end of Round 15.
A new look coaching team, made up of some of Pasifika's best coaches, has joined Umaga in the coaching panel.
This includes former Manu Samoa international and head coach for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua, who has been named as Backs and Skills coach, plus the Wellington Lions NPC winning coach this season Alando Soakai.
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Again, on paper, a top squad, like the Drua.
Can they gel and play as a winning combination?
A close friend within the NZ Rugby Union told me that one of the biggest problems with Moana Pasifika is you have two countries combining as one - two very highly competitive countries.
Top players from Samoa and Tonga are in the Moana Squad - again - for 2025.
Can the coaches mould them into a strong, united, winning unit?
Will the players be able to work together as team? Combine their strengths and focus on beating one team, rather than each other up?
It is going to be another tough ask.
The test will be in the early round-robin matches and whether the side can quickly adapt, win matches, and be consistent as the season grows.
Like the Drua players, majority of the players named in the squad either play for Samoa or Tonga.
Savea plays top-level Tier One rugby with the All Blacks.
Can he be the one to drive the Moana transformation in 2025?
Will he be able to transfer some of his magic to his fellow Pasifika islanders and change the side's fortunes in the new season?
The new 2025 format allows only for the top 6 teams to compete in the quarterfinals.
There will be 16-round regular season matches, with 11 teams competing, six New Zealand based clubs, four from Australia, and the Drua.
Photo: Fijian Drua Media
The 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season will kick off on 14 February, a week earlier than previous seasons, to allow for an additional week of round robin games.
Each team will play 14 regular season games - seven at home and seven away, with two byes.
The teams each play four teams twice, and those matchups will be mostly traditional and local rivalries.
The top six teams after the final round of the regular season play will qualify for the Finals Series.
The three winning sides will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the highest-seeded losing team - the 'lucky loser'.
The question then remains: Can the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika lay claim to spots in the top six in 2025?
Super Rugby Pacific 2025 squad list
Fijian Drua: Haereiti Hetet, Livai Natave, Emosi Tuqiri, Mesake Doge, Samuela Tawake, Meli Tuni, Peni Ravai, Tevita Ikanivere, Mesulame Dolokoto, Zuriel Togiatama, Isoa Nasilasila, Leone Rotuisolia, Mesake Vocevoce, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Sailosi Vukalokalo, Meli Derenalagi, Vilive Miramira, Etonia Waqa, Joseva Tamani, Elia Canakaivata, Motikiai Murray, Frank Lomani, Simione Kuruvoli, Peni Matawalu, Phillip Baselala, Caleb Muntz, Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, Kemu Valetini, Sikeli Rabitu, Iosefo Masi, Inia Tabuavou, Waqa Nalaga, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, Selestino Ravutaumada Ilaisa Droasese, Epeli Momo, Vuate Karawalevu, Ponipate Loganimasi, Taniela Rakuro, Junior Ratuva.
Moana Pasifika: Abraham Pole, Aisea Halo, Alamanda Motuga, Allan Craig, Ardie Savea, Chris Apoua, Danny Toala, Fine Inisi, Irie Papuni, Jackson Garden-Bachop, James Lay, Jonathan Taumateine, Julian Savea, Kyren Taumoefolau, Lalomilo Lalomilo, Losi Filipo, Lotu Inisi, Melani Matavao, Michael Curry, Miracle Faiilagi, Neria Fomai, Ofa Tauatevalu, Ola Tauelangi, Patrick Pellegrini, Pepesana Patafilo, Pone Fa'amausili, Sama Malolo, Samiuela Moli, Samuel Slade, Semisi Paea, Sione Havili Talitui, Sione Mafileo, Solomon Alaimalo, Tito Tuipulotu, Tom Savage, Tomasi Maka, Tuna Tuitama, William Havili.
