Moana Pasifika v Highlanders at Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 4 May 2024 Photo: Moana Pasifika
News that the Moana Pasifika clash against the Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific competition has been relocated out of Nuku'alofa has not gone down well with rugby fans in the island kingdom.
Moana Pasifika Moana Pasifika chief executive Debbie Sorensen confirmed on Wednesday that they decided to move the game out of Tonga due to a number of logistical challenges.
"Our hearts are in the Pacific and that is where we want to be but it wasn't possible for this fixture due to things that were out of our hands," Sorensen said in a statement.
"It's sad to say that we can't make it happen this time but are already looking at how we can take a game to Tonga in 2026."
Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis added that they were also saddened that they will not be travelling to Tonga.
"We were really looking forward to playing in Tonga, which is why we are supportive of playing there in 2026 if Moana Pasifika schedule another home game in Nuku'alofa," he said, as the Chiefs prepare to fly to Nadi for this weekend's round four clash against the Fijian Drua in Lautoka.
"Playing in the Pacific Islands is always a highlight for us."
Moana Pasifika will now play the Chiefs at Pukekohe's Navigation Homes Stadium on Friday, 21 March, at 7:05pm, marking the first of two home games at the ground in 2025.
On Saturday 19 April, the team will face the Brumbies at the South Auckland ground where they also played a pre-season game against the Chiefs in February.
Tongan radio broadcaster and journalist Ramanlal Vallabh said it was disappointing not getting the game to Tonga but understood there would have been valuable reasons for the change.
Talanga Akapulu moe Sipoti Ma'ae Tonga social media page, which highlights discussions on Tongan sports and athletes, asked what the logistical challenges were.
Tonga Rugby Union chief executive Aisea 'Aholelei said it was sad losing the match.
He said delayed installation of floodlights at Teufaiva Stadium caused the cancelation.
"The installation of floodlights is being delayed and there was concerns that would affect the 6pm schedule for the game kick off," he said.
But former Moana Pasifika chief executive Pelenato Sakalia told RNZ Pacific in May last year that while they want to play more games in front of their home fans in the islands, the reality is such games are expensive to take across the ocean.
"Without a doubt Moana Pasifika is very committed to playing games in the Pacific," he said.
"But there is a cold, hard economic reality to these things. Taking games to the Pacific is really an expensive affair."
He said then many might ask why then has the Fiji Drua been able to do it in Fiji - why can't you do it in Tonga and Samoa?
"But when you have a look at what I call the economic disparities between even Fiji and the likes of Tonga, and Samoa, you look at the differences in infrastructure, you know, the economic trades, the economic in-flows in terms of financial assistance that comes into Fiji relative to what comes into Samoa and Tonga, it's really challenging," he said.
"Unfortunately, both Tonga and Samoa, it's not a criticism, it's just a reality," he said.
"When you've got a population of 100,000 in Tonga and about 250,000 in Samoa, you don't necessarily have the size and scale to be able to support the specialist support services that you need."
