Moana Pasifika team in a huddle after the Super Rugby Pacific - Round 12 match between Moana Pasifika v Blues held at North Harbour Stadium, Auckland - New Zealand - on Saturday 02 May 2026. Photo credit: Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz Photo: Photosport
A consortium that has the backing of a number of former All Blacks is disappointed that the current Moana Pasifika owners are not willing to discuss their bailout offer.
Kanaloa Consortium, which is trying to buy the licence for the Moana Pasifika rugby franchise, said Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) is not responsive to their requests for discussions about the issue.
Tracy Atiga told RNZ Pacific on Wednesday her efforts to try and get PMA, current licence owners for Moana Pasifika, to discuss their proposal have not been successful.
She said PMA and Moana Pasifika chief executive Debbie Sorensen told her in a brief conversation last week that "it was pointless".
Atiga said Kanaloa is now trying to get to the PMA directors and Moana Pasifika leadership.
Kanbaloa Rugby CEO Tracy Atiga Photo: Facebook / Tagata Pasifika
At the same time, she said they need the support of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA), as per the directive of New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
"We have had an offer from New Zealand Rugby to submit a formal proposal to the New Zealand Rugby Board for the licence of Moana Pasifika," Atiga said.
However, she said there are two conditions that need to be met which are "actually quite challenging".
"We need to have [an] agreement from PMA, who are the current owners of Moana Pasifika until the end of May. We need their agreement to sign that licence over to our organisation.
"And then the second condition is that they will need the support of New Zealand Rugby Players Association to agree to our business model. So that's where we're at, at the moment."
"Right now, at this moment, there has been zero efforts made from PMA to talk to us."
Atiga said she had also tried to reach out to former All Black Sir Michael Jones, who was a key player in the setting up of Moana Pasifika, and the PMA organizational leaders.
In a statement to RNZ Pacific on Thursday, Moana Pasifika and PMA chief executive Debbie Sorensen said: "Given NZR's role as a licence holder, they have provided interested parties the opportunity to submit their proposals."
Moana Pasifika CEO Debbie Sorensen Photo: Pasifika Medical Association Group
Atiga said she has also approached community champions to help them to engage "because they're just not participating".
"They just don't want the new generation coming through and proving that we can make this work, a model that should have been done six years ago," she said.
She said Kanaloa's model is "almost the same" the Fijian Drua.
"The only difference is that we were going to be paying our players their international playing fees on top of their Super Rugby salary.There's really nothing else to it.
