Interim CEO Debbie Sorensen says there has been “significant interest” from New Zealand rugby’s top players about joining All Blacks star Ardie Savea at Moana Pasifika next season.
Former Hurricanes stalwart Savea’s move to Pasifika this season has reportedly sparked interest from other All Blacks keen on following his path when renegotiating their New Zealand Rugby (NZR) contracts.
Pasifika, based in Auckland but outside NZR’s five-team catchment, can second up to three NZR-contracted players per season. Savea, officially named team captain on Monday, is the first current All Black to take this route.
“There is significant interest from some All Blacks about joining the club for 2026 and beyond,” Sorensen told the New Zealand Herald. “There will always be tension around those negotiations.
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“The All Blacks are a New Zealand Rugby product, and so there’s negotiations around that. But that’s not a constraint to us.”
At least two capped All Blacks have reportedly told their representatives they’d consider Pasifika, citing heritage, lifestyle, or the chance to play alongside Savea.
NZR, while prioritising players for its traditional franchises, acknowledges the need for flexibility. In a statement to the Herald, it confirmed: “NZR may second up to three contracted players per year to Moana Pasifika, recognising specific circumstances where a player remains eligible for New Zealand national teams.”
Sorensen called for collaboration: “We all need to play our part because we’re part of a collective system. Relationships are important to us, more than anything else.”
Photo: @MoanaPasifika_/Twitter
