Government minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is hinting at possible “good news” for the beleaguered Moana Pasifika Super Rugby Pacific franchise, which owes the Crown $2.7 million among its debts.
Asked for his views on the impending demise of the Pacific-focused team which is disbanding following an unsuccessful bid to sell the franchise, Peters responded: “Yes, I do, but you have to wait for the good news later on.”
Asked if the Government was intervening, Peters said, “No”, but when pressed for clarification of his earlier comment, Peters said: “I haven’t got any answer for you at the present time.
“Of course, I’d love to see them carry on, because the reality is they’ve got a great future, but they’ve gone through difficult times.
“They just need better, and so does the [New Zealand] rugby union actually, better management.”
Asked if he had had conversations with the franchise’s management, Peters made a point of noting he hadn’t had conversations with their management solely.
It’s understood there is no imminent announcement coming from the Government, which is set to unveil its annual Budget on Thursday.
However, the Foreign Affairs Minister is understood to be in conversations with people connected to the franchise to explore options regarding the franchise’s future.
The Herald today reported the franchise had been placed in liquidation, as the team headed to Canberra for their final game on Saturday.
New Zealand Rugby would cover the team’s costs related to the upcoming game and pay players in the short term, however both the squad and several dozen support staff, including coaches, were likely to become creditors of the defunct company.
The liquidation followed a failed effort to sell the team; Moana Pasifika retained Deloitte in 2025 to run the sale process but no acceptable bid emerged.
It appears that parties, including team shareholder the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association all had some say in that process.
A first liquidator’s report is expected early next week and the team’s debts are likely to heavily outweigh assets. The debts include a Crown loan of $2.7m.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE
