All Black legend and Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga is calling for more financial support from World Rugby. Photo: Photosport
The Pacific Islands have long been a breeding ground for some of the world's greatest rugby players - in Aotearoa alone, 40 percent of the playing pool is Pasifika.
But while other nations are happy to pilfer the Pacific for players, the same level of interest is not always shown when it comes to growing the game in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
Moana Pasifika - a franchise born to provide more Pasifika players with another professional pathway - no longer receives any funding from World Rugby, a move which disillusions coach Tana Umaga.
"We just want to be on a level playing field around the funding that goes out to all the teams, you can just see what we bring to the competition, world rugby probably needs to help out a bit more, when you look around the world and how many Pacific island players are playing in all these different countries, you don't want to lose sight of what we represent and what we can do for this game."
Umaga pointed to the Pacific renaissance in rugby league as a prime example of how the islands can impact the sporting landscape.
"We saw it with Tonga and Samoa who got their best players playing, our Pacific people will get in behind it. We saw it with Moana Pasifika last year, everyone likes us when we come visit because they get good crowds, we are pulling people, we have pulling power and I think that needs to be supported."
He said it was critical for Polynesian players to be visible.
"You can talk about it, you can't watch it on TV but if you can see it, touch it feel it, people that look like me, its easier to believe it and achieve it. A lot of our guys come from the backgrounds these kids come from, they think 'if he can do it why cant I?' and there is no reason why they cant, its just about getting onto those pathways."
The former All Black captain said purpose underpins everything the side stands for.
"I feel like our guys understand why we're here for, we're very strong around purpose, be that you know your personal purpose or our collective purpose and how that all aligns. They're under no illusion about what we represent and who we represent. We talk a lot around Pacific excellence and what it takes. What are those sacrifices that we have to make and we've made a lot, and we don't have to look too far from our parents and those around us who've sacrificed a lot to give us this opportunity."
Moana Pasifika picked up a stunning upset win on Saturday, defeating the Fijian Drua at one of the toughest places in Super Rugby to win - Lautoka.
Their next assignment sees them head to the capital to face the Hurricanes who had the bye in week one.
Umaga and his men are weary of the last time they were in Wellington, where they were hammered 64-12.
