New Zealand Rugby aren't looking at the big picture with the Pacific Islands

Then, I wish RA all the best with funding this Pacifica team to protect their own Pacifica base. Cos as we know now, NZR couldn’t.

North East NZ?? ????

There shouldn't be a specific Pasifika team, but both NZ and Aus teams should be funded to include them in current teams. Yes the home teams would complain about stopping the talent getting through, but it would eventually mean that a 6th team could be added to both conferences. With a 12 team competition playing a 16 match season plus play offs would be great. Home and away in conference and home or away v other. Keeps the local derbies, but gives an international link. If asked for new franchise base, would go for North East NZ and Western Sydney. Players from PI, NZ and Aus should be able to play for any team, based on a draft system with a strict salary cap. This allows more talent to come through, whilst basing the teams in the major areas to create best revenue streams.

Tom, Using the Warriors analogy, a more apt comparison for Super Rugby Pasifika would be SANZAAR giving a Pasifika team the funding. Under the NRL deal, money is given to the league directly which then divides it up among the 16 clubs. It's worth noting that South Africa and NZ had agreed to pool the money they were paid for their domestic competitions so that the other partners (Australia at least) could share in it. I imagine that arrangement will no longer continue.

The Warriors would presumably get a substantial slice of the broadcasting pie from the billion dollar plus Nine & Foxtel deals that they would share as being in the NRL.

ALL BLACKS will loose their player base. That is what is holding back a Pacifica team.

How many times have the warriors been helped out financially.

This is a real shame. It looked like a well considered and prepared proposal. But we'll never know without seeing it. I do know that to make projections you have to make assumptions, and some of the comments above are also based on assumptions. That leads me to believe there could me some meeting in the middle. Here's hoping their break-even business plan stacks up in an Australia setting. Perghaps they can join in if we repeat a domestic season in 2021 because who teh hell knows what happens next for SR.

Absolutely agree Fboy... As members of the public, we will never find out whether or not the Pacifica proposal was sustainable but I also have doubts, when there is an implied position for NZR and SkyTV, both being sought, to provide assistance. It will be difficult enough for NZR to cover its expenses on its own existing 5 SR sides let alone being asked to, provide financial assistance on this new proposal. It is easy to make threats of leaving NZR and venturing across the ditch but, if NZR had difficulties with the Pacifica financial position then I hardly think that RA, is in a position to assist especially if, the bidders are still seeking assistance.

Excellent reply Fiwiboy! We are entitled to your opinion!

The rejection of the Moana Pasifika bid to join the New Zealand Super Rugby Competition in 2021 is hard to comprehend and shows a lack of willingness on New Zealand Rugby’s part to expand the Super Rugby Competition and to grow the game in the Pacific. First of all, the Super Rugby competition is NOT a New Zealand competition. It's a SANZAAR competition in which NZ, Australia, South Africa and Argentina are all stakeholders. Stop calling it a NZ competition; that is incorrect. SANZAAR has final say in all strategic decisions. Lack of willingness or financially strapped? NZ wants to grow the game in the Islands; it has said so and NZ is a Pacific Island nation after all. But of all the Tier 1 nations, NZ is by far the weakest economically and that is in a normal season. How many Super Rugby games have Australia played in the Islands? Less than NZ who have played games in Suva and Apia. NZ also allows PI players to take part in its domestic competitions in train them up. The performance of Samoa and Fiji since 1991 has shown the benefits of that development. The Moana Pasifika bid had been prepared meticulously and presented with a feasibility plan that contained more than 100 pages of cost analysis, possible teams and coaching teams. Than why do they need Counties Manukau's support? They have to explain their funding structure (and asking NZR and Sky TV to come to the party is hardly a funding strategy). NZ Rugby have said that they are going to have losses of $100 million, yet Moana Pasifika’s bid was expected to make a profit in their first season. If that team was based in south Auckland, any profit they would have made would have come at NZ Rugby's expense. Not acceptable, especially in a pandemic-induced recession. The Pasifika side has to demonstrate an independent source of financial sustainability (ie financial health that doesn't adversely affect NZ Rugby). The bid showed through their projected sums that they could break even in 2021. Break even and make a profit are two different things. Then of course it's all projected so there is that uncertainty! The Pacific Islands have been a nursery for producing some brilliant All Blacks over a long period of time, you only need to Look at two legendary figures of the game in Sir Bryan Williams and Sir Michael Jones who are a credit to the game of rugby union, are proud of their heritage and who have been passionately backing and campaigning for the Moana Pasifika bid to join the Super Rugby competition since 1995. Fair enough but they are also legends of the NZ game. Their are knights for their services to the game in NZ and to the community. What these two need to do is explain the funding model for the Pasifika side: that cannot be emphasised enough times. They need to focus their efforts on the more practical aspects of such a team. It goes without saying that it would do wonders for the development of rugby union in the Pacific Islands and how it would have inspired and motivated young boys to follow their dreams if the bid had been successful. PI rugby should be developing on its own. Why does it need NZ? Although having seen Fiji club and provincial rugby when I was younger, I will accept that there is a need. Now to make their vision a reality, they may be forced to rescope the bid and to shift the team from their proposed base in South Auckland to Western Sydney and play in the Australian Super Rugby competition. If the Pasifika economic model cannot satisfy the Australians, you may find that RA will be unwilling to come to the party given their state and the competition they face from other codes. One can only hope that NZ Rugby will reconsider their decision on the Moana Pasifika bid, which had a lot of merit, and look at it from all the different angles. Merit is one thing but the Pasifika backs need to change tack; instead of talking about merit, they need to focus on the practical aspects. Talk about where the players are coming from, and especially talk about funding. The NZ Rugby used the word "sustainable"; they were talking about the ability of the team to fund its own way in 2021 and possibly beyond. Is the Pasifika bid a one-season wonder or do they want something more long-term?