Legal action looms over Pacific Super Rugby bids ^Featured

The Auckland-based Moana Pasifika bid and a Fiji-led delegation have been chosen to join the competition, alongside the existing five teams from New Zealand and five from Australia.

But Kanaloa Pasifika claimed New Zealand Rugby breached its own rules by appointing Moana Pasifika as a Primary Partner when the group did not take part in the formal tender process.

The Pacific Rugby Players Association welcomed the news this week that the region would finally have a team of its own in Super Rugby.

"Having one there with Fiji, who've got a strong player base and very good high performance systems already set up.

"And if there's to be Moana Pasifika based out of initially New Zealand, which as you expect could possibly accommodate for a lot of Samoan and Tongan players, it's sort of two different systems being set up and being ready to go for 2022 but it's very much achievable and they'll be very strong teams."

Moana Pasifika is backed by a heavyweight group, including All Blacks legends Sir Bryan Williams and Sir Michael Jones, who are former and current members of the New Zealand Rugby Board.

But Kanaloa Pasifika CEO Tracy Atiga said the rival group did not meet the selection criteria and they've laid a formal complaint with New Zealand Rugby.

"Every party that was involved in that process was pretty clear that we'd go through the process and a successful bidder would be selected and to find out that New Zealand Rugby has obviously pulled Kanaloa Pasifika through and also Moana Pasifika through, and then to be told that Moana Pasifika has been successful and also to find out they didn't bid at all in the process that's I think where the frustration has come in."

The Kanaloa bid, which was also backed by several former All Blacks including Jerome Kaino and Joe Rokocoko, claimed Moana Pasifika was also compromised by having at least two New Zealand Rugby employees involved with their bid, including a current Board member involved in the decision making process.

"We're concerned about the ethics involved and New Zealand Rugby's decision to go with the group that they helped form with New Zealand Rugby Players Association, who as you know are set up to take care of the best interest of New Zealand Rugby players and teams likes the Blues and the Chiefs.

"So yeah it's a little bit frustrating and a little bit worrying now."

The overseas-based Pacific Rugby Players Welfare group also expressed concern.

CEO and former Samoa international, Daniel Leo, said New Zealand Rugby needed to clarify how they came to their decision.

"As long as I've been involved with Pacific Island rugby the finger has constantly been pointed at the islands for their poor goverance, conflicts of interest involving officials, the lack of transparency and proper process and we've had funding frozen in the past due to those concerns."

Kanaloa Pasifika's Tracy Atiga said on Friday a formal complaint had been laid and if a satisfactory response was not recieved, legal proceedings would begin.

Meanwhile Pacific Rugby Players said it would support and work alongside whichever bid(s) get across the line.

NZR had not responded to a request for comment.

- RNZI