New Zealand Rugby shored up all five Kiwi Super Rugby teams as Moana Pasifika headed for inevitable fall
Thursday, 16 April 2026
ANALYSIS: Moana Pasifika faced unique challenges but their decision to exit Super Rugby is part of a pattern that raises questions about the competition’s future.
Everyone is struggling as underwhelming crowd numbers bite hard.
The Hurricanes lost $2 million last year, the Melbourne Rebels were killed by Rugby Australia in 2024, the Waratahs and Brumbies were losing so much money they had to be absorbed by the national body in the same year, and it is understood the Western Force’s annual losses exceed $5m.
The Post also understands that New Zealand Rugby moved to support the Crusaders, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders last year.
Read more:
New Zealand Rugby should pull every lever to get Fehi Fineanganofo out of UK deal
Super Rugby team of the week: Ruben Love gives All Blacks a genuine new option at No 10
Super Rugby Pacific: Blues welcome back big guns for pursuit of Hurricanes, Chiefs
Crusaders claim small moments costly in loss to Reds, Will Jordan’s attacking threat missed
NZ Rugby’s financial support for the Hurricanes was already well known as part of a new ownership structure under chair Malcolm Gillies, but the assistance to the other four New Zealand clubs reflects a broader issue and the tough economic times.
Crowd numbers in Super Rugby Pacific this season do not point to a turnaround, either.
The Hurricanes-Blues game last weekend attracted just 13,574, the Hurricanes confirmed, in line with the 12,763 crowd for the Reds game on March 28 and the 13,903 for the Moana Pasifika match on February 20.
Compare that to the 34,500 sell-out at the same venue for the Warriors-Dolphins game on Anzac Day.
In fact, one of the most telling parts of the Moana Pasifika statement on Wednesday was a reference to the “realities facing the franchise as well as professional rugby in New Zealand”.
Ticket sales are vital to the Super Rugby clubs because they don’t get a direct cut of broadcast revenue from the NZ Rugby-Sky deal.
If the five New Zealand clubs don’t get enough punters through the gate, they have to tap their private investors or NZ Rugby for assistance.
The financial struggles at club/franchise level are part of a global issue.
It was recently reported that powerhouse Irish province Munster, where Clayton McMillan coaches, lost up to €1m ($2m) last season and had embarked on a round of voluntary redundancies.
The Prem clubs in England are bleeding cash and a number of them rely on wealthy benefactors simply to keep them afloat as they search for new investment.
There is no money to be made in rugby underneath test level, which is why South Africa only has four teams in European competitions despite their vast playing resources and back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins for the Springboks.
That said, NZ Rugby and RA have serious questions to answer after watching Super Rugby Pacific turn into a stagnant sporting competition.
The current top six on the ladder are the same top six as last year, and just eight teams have featured in the top six since the competition’s inception - with the Highlanders and Waratahs sneaking into sixth place on one occasion each.
With so little movement on the ladder from year to year, and so little player movement between the teams, good luck persuading cash-poor New Zealanders to leave their living rooms to watch Super Rugby games that lack jeopardy.
Moana Pasifika are this morning’s sad headline, but the bigger story is about Super Rugby and whether it can adapt or perish.