Moana Pasifika boss Debbie Sorensen claims the franchise are a victim of an increasingly difficult economic climate. 

They're set to disband after the Super Rugby season unless another backer is found. 

Sorensen —who is also chief executive of the Pasifika Medical Group which owns the franchise— is withdrawing financial support. 

She told Mike Hosking it's a compounding problem – people don’t have the income to buy memberships or travel to games due to the petrol problem. 

Sorensen's added that Super Rugby is under threat from league's NRL, which she describes as an "aggressive sophisticated machine." 

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