I know there’s a suggestion that maybe - just maybe - Moana Pasifika can be saved. But do yourself a favour and don’t waste your time hoping for it because I think this is going to be the club’s last season.

I don’t relish saying that because Moana Pasifika was absolutely one of the highlights of last year’s Super Rugby season. But it has never stacked up financially, has it?

The only reason it was able to pay its way for a while was because it received a temporary injection of Government money from various agencies. There was a bit of financial help from New Zealand Rugby, a bit from World Rugby and of course the fact it was majority owned by a charity that drew tens of millions of dollars in Government income.

Once that Government contract was cut, the financial support came to an abrupt end. Now the money has run out.

It’s lost its big star - Ardie Savea is now in Japan. It’s losing games, sitting at the bottom of the table again and the fans have drifted away. You could argue - and it would be a fair argument - that Moana Pasifika was never really given a fair go because it doesn’t even have a true home ground.

But even if you gave it a home ground and even if you had a star like Ardie Savea every single season, I’d still say it wouldn’t make enough money to wash its face - because none of the clubs do. Or very few of them, anyway.

So if you’re hoping against hope that someone swoops in to save Moana Pasifika, tell me who? It can’t be New Zealand Rugby - because if they step in for Moana Pasifika, are they also going to start bailing out the Hurricanes when they make a loss?

It can’t be the Government either, especially with the prospect of a global recession hanging over us.

That basically leaves private business. And if private business people do step in, it will be entirely out of generosity. And how long does generosity last if there are no results in the bank and no results on the field?

So I’d say: put your hopes away. This will be Moana Pasifika’s last season.

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