Moana Pasifika’s debut still delayed due to Covid

On Tuesday, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced that Moana Pacifica’s debut in Super Rugby Pacific has been further delayed because players in the franchise who have contracted Covid-19 have not sufficiently recovered according to a report by a panel of championship physicians. Last week, Moana Pacifica’s first game against the Auckland Blues was already postponed due to seven cases of players testing positive for Covid-19 within this new franchise.

This time, the meeting against the Waikato chiefs will not take place as scheduled, this Sunday. Cameron Judd, director of NZRU competitions, said he had no other alternative, and explained that no alternative date had been set yet for Moana Pasifika’s first two matches.

Super Rugby Pacific is welcoming two new franchises this year: Moana Pasifika, which brings together the best players from Samoa and Tonga and is based in Auckland, and Drua, a Fijian franchise based in New South Wales (Australia).

Drua had a tough start to competition last Friday, largely defeating 4-10 of the NSW Waratahs in Sydney last Friday.