'Good for rugby': rivals hail Moana Pasifika influence

The rugby world is saluting the strides of Moana Pasifika after the competition's relative newcomers enjoyed their best-ever Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
Moana bowed out, somewhat unceremoniously, with a 64-12 loss to the high-flying and powerhouse Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night.
After joining the competition in 2022, Moana needed to record an unlikely bonus-point win over the Hurricanes to make the finals for the first time.
But a seventh-placed showing, after two wooden spoons in 2022 and 2023 before last year's 11th-spot, is rightfully being lauded.
"I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had, and the inspiration and the excitement that they brought to our competition," said Hurricanes captain Xavier Numia.
"You can see now the amount of fans and people that are behind them and what that brings to rugby in New Zealand.
"So whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter.
"It's good for New Zealand rugby and the brand of rugby that they play and the values that they represent, things that we all have in common.
"So real credit to Moana and the things that they're doing on and off the field. They've been a joy to watch this season. There is no doubt about that."
But inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, the newly crowned Super Rugby Pacific player of the year, maintains the Pasifika are aiming higher.
"The way where you can take the momentum today, what you've done, even just in tonight's game, these moments, what this season has done, where you go from here, we're not satisfied," Savea said.
"Our goal was to win the thing and make top six, but that wasn't meant to be."
The rugby world is saluting the strides of Moana Pasifika after the competition's relative newcomers enjoyed their best-ever Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
Moana bowed out, somewhat unceremoniously, with a 64-12 loss to the high-flying and powerhouse Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night.
After joining the competition in 2022, Moana needed to record an unlikely bonus-point win over the Hurricanes to make the finals for the first time.
But a seventh-placed showing, after two wooden spoons in 2022 and 2023 before last year's 11th-spot, is rightfully being lauded.
"I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had, and the inspiration and the excitement that they brought to our competition," said Hurricanes captain Xavier Numia.
"You can see now the amount of fans and people that are behind them and what that brings to rugby in New Zealand.
"So whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter.
"It's good for New Zealand rugby and the brand of rugby that they play and the values that they represent, things that we all have in common.
"So real credit to Moana and the things that they're doing on and off the field. They've been a joy to watch this season. There is no doubt about that."
But inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, the newly crowned Super Rugby Pacific player of the year, maintains the Pasifika are aiming higher.
"The way where you can take the momentum today, what you've done, even just in tonight's game, these moments, what this season has done, where you go from here, we're not satisfied," Savea said.
"Our goal was to win the thing and make top six, but that wasn't meant to be."
The rugby world is saluting the strides of Moana Pasifika after the competition's relative newcomers enjoyed their best-ever Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
Moana bowed out, somewhat unceremoniously, with a 64-12 loss to the high-flying and powerhouse Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday night.
After joining the competition in 2022, Moana needed to record an unlikely bonus-point win over the Hurricanes to make the finals for the first time.
But a seventh-placed showing, after two wooden spoons in 2022 and 2023 before last year's 11th-spot, is rightfully being lauded.
"I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had, and the inspiration and the excitement that they brought to our competition," said Hurricanes captain Xavier Numia.
"You can see now the amount of fans and people that are behind them and what that brings to rugby in New Zealand.
"So whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter.
"It's good for New Zealand rugby and the brand of rugby that they play and the values that they represent, things that we all have in common.
"So real credit to Moana and the things that they're doing on and off the field. They've been a joy to watch this season. There is no doubt about that."
But inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, the newly crowned Super Rugby Pacific player of the year, maintains the Pasifika are aiming higher.
"The way where you can take the momentum today, what you've done, even just in tonight's game, these moments, what this season has done, where you go from here, we're not satisfied," Savea said.
"Our goal was to win the thing and make top six, but that wasn't meant to be."

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Brumbies want Lions share of Wallabies selection

The Advertiser

2 hours ago

The Advertiser

Brumbies want Lions share of Wallabies selection

While his own position in the Wallabies isn't assured, Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio is plumping for his Canberra teammates to dominate Test selection to face the British and Irish Lions. Lolesio is Australia's incumbent flyhalf, wearing the 10 jersey on all four Tests of last year's UK spring tour, but announced through the Super Rugby Pacific season he would departing the Brumbies to play club rugby in Japan. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been coy on his selection thoughts, only saying players who have committed their future off-shore remain "in the mix". Making a successful return from a back injury last round, Lolesio told AAP he hadn't spoken recently to Schmidt, but would be "super stoked" to be named. The Brumbies are preparing to host the Hurricanes on Saturday night in a Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final after finishing third on a congested ladder. The Reds placed fifth and will take on the second-ranked Crusaders while NSW Waratahs (eighth) and Western Force (ninth) missed the finals. Before the Lions toured in 2001 the Brumbies won the then Super 12 competition, and had 13 players selected in the 31-man Wallabies squad, which went on to win the series 2-1. Given the ACT outfit are again Australia's top team, Lolesio would like to see his teammates recognised. "Super Rugby is basically a trial for higher honours and I believe whoever is the best team in their country, whoever finishes on top in the country should have the majority of the players earn higher honours," Lolesio said. "We've got a lot of talent all over Australia and each team has been very competitive compared to previous years ... but I'd love to see heaps of Brumbies boys make it." The Wallabies only play one Test - on July 6 against Fiji - before taking on the might of the northern hemisphere so Lolesio felt using team combinations would be smart. His sentiments were backed Brumbies teammate and incumbent Wallabies fullback Tom Wright. "In a team sport, that cohesion, it's definitely something that would go a long way," Wright told AAP. "I feel like naturally, the team that's able to progress through the year as far as we can, hopefully we're represented well in the gold jersey and that's a great indication of guys how hard they've worked in our Brumbies jersey all year." Ten-Test Tom Hooper is one of the form forwards in the competition, but like Lolesio, is also leaving Canberra, headed to the UK to play for Exeter. While they suffered a late loss against the Crusaders in the final round, Hooper said the Brumbies were unquestionably Australia's "winningest" side and hoped that counted for himself and his teammates. "I think that a winning culture is really important and it's something that we've worked really hard to develop here for a long time," the 24-year-old told AAP. "Whether it's myself or it's another 15 of my teammates, I'd just be so stoked to see some Brumbies boys in the squad because we do understand how to win games and we're a great team down here." While his own position in the Wallabies isn't assured, Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio is plumping for his Canberra teammates to dominate Test selection to face the British and Irish Lions. Lolesio is Australia's incumbent flyhalf, wearing the 10 jersey on all four Tests of last year's UK spring tour, but announced through the Super Rugby Pacific season he would departing the Brumbies to play club rugby in Japan. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been coy on his selection thoughts, only saying players who have committed their future off-shore remain "in the mix". Making a successful return from a back injury last round, Lolesio told AAP he hadn't spoken recently to Schmidt, but would be "super stoked" to be named. The Brumbies are preparing to host the Hurricanes on Saturday night in a Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final after finishing third on a congested ladder. The Reds placed fifth and will take on the second-ranked Crusaders while NSW Waratahs (eighth) and Western Force (ninth) missed the finals. Before the Lions toured in 2001 the Brumbies won the then Super 12 competition, and had 13 players selected in the 31-man Wallabies squad, which went on to win the series 2-1. Given the ACT outfit are again Australia's top team, Lolesio would like to see his teammates recognised. "Super Rugby is basically a trial for higher honours and I believe whoever is the best team in their country, whoever finishes on top in the country should have the majority of the players earn higher honours," Lolesio said. "We've got a lot of talent all over Australia and each team has been very competitive compared to previous years ... but I'd love to see heaps of Brumbies boys make it." The Wallabies only play one Test - on July 6 against Fiji - before taking on the might of the northern hemisphere so Lolesio felt using team combinations would be smart. His sentiments were backed Brumbies teammate and incumbent Wallabies fullback Tom Wright. "In a team sport, that cohesion, it's definitely something that would go a long way," Wright told AAP. "I feel like naturally, the team that's able to progress through the year as far as we can, hopefully we're represented well in the gold jersey and that's a great indication of guys how hard they've worked in our Brumbies jersey all year." Ten-Test Tom Hooper is one of the form forwards in the competition, but like Lolesio, is also leaving Canberra, headed to the UK to play for Exeter. While they suffered a late loss against the Crusaders in the final round, Hooper said the Brumbies were unquestionably Australia's "winningest" side and hoped that counted for himself and his teammates. "I think that a winning culture is really important and it's something that we've worked really hard to develop here for a long time," the 24-year-old told AAP. "Whether it's myself or it's another 15 of my teammates, I'd just be so stoked to see some Brumbies boys in the squad because we do understand how to win games and we're a great team down here." While his own position in the Wallabies isn't assured, Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio is plumping for his Canberra teammates to dominate Test selection to face the British and Irish Lions. Lolesio is Australia's incumbent flyhalf, wearing the 10 jersey on all four Tests of last year's UK spring tour, but announced through the Super Rugby Pacific season he would departing the Brumbies to play club rugby in Japan. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been coy on his selection thoughts, only saying players who have committed their future off-shore remain "in the mix". Making a successful return from a back injury last round, Lolesio told AAP he hadn't spoken recently to Schmidt, but would be "super stoked" to be named. The Brumbies are preparing to host the Hurricanes on Saturday night in a Super Rugby Pacific qualifying final after finishing third on a congested ladder. The Reds placed fifth and will take on the second-ranked Crusaders while NSW Waratahs (eighth) and Western Force (ninth) missed the finals. Before the Lions toured in 2001 the Brumbies won the then Super 12 competition, and had 13 players selected in the 31-man Wallabies squad, which went on to win the series 2-1. Given the ACT outfit are again Australia's top team, Lolesio would like to see his teammates recognised. "Super Rugby is basically a trial for higher honours and I believe whoever is the best team in their country, whoever finishes on top in the country should have the majority of the players earn higher honours," Lolesio said. "We've got a lot of talent all over Australia and each team has been very competitive compared to previous years ... but I'd love to see heaps of Brumbies boys make it." The Wallabies only play one Test - on July 6 against Fiji - before taking on the might of the northern hemisphere so Lolesio felt using team combinations would be smart. His sentiments were backed Brumbies teammate and incumbent Wallabies fullback Tom Wright. "In a team sport, that cohesion, it's definitely something that would go a long way," Wright told AAP. "I feel like naturally, the team that's able to progress through the year as far as we can, hopefully we're represented well in the gold jersey and that's a great indication of guys how hard they've worked in our Brumbies jersey all year." Ten-Test Tom Hooper is one of the form forwards in the competition, but like Lolesio, is also leaving Canberra, headed to the UK to play for Exeter. While they suffered a late loss against the Crusaders in the final round, Hooper said the Brumbies were unquestionably Australia's "winningest" side and hoped that counted for himself and his teammates. "I think that a winning culture is really important and it's something that we've worked really hard to develop here for a long time," the 24-year-old told AAP. "Whether it's myself or it's another 15 of my teammates, I'd just be so stoked to see some Brumbies boys in the squad because we do understand how to win games and we're a great team down here."