Tana Umaga recruiting Manu Samoa stars for Moana Pasifika

Tana Umaga is wasting no time in trying to bolster his Moana Pasifika squad after the former All Black captain was revealed as the club’s new head coach last week.

Umaga, who has spent the past nine Super Rugby seasons with the Blues, joins the new club in 2024, becoming just their second ever head coach and taking over from Aaron Mauger who stepped down from the role after a trying two seasons at the helm.

Currently in camp with Manu Samoa as defence coach, Umaga is spending his days with some of the Pacific’s finest talent, including former All Blacks Steven Luatua and Lima Sopoaga. The coach says there has been some chat with the players about the Moana side, but he’s unsure how seriously he should take it.

“It’s funny, I don’t know if these guys are kidding or not but I’ve had a lot of guys saying ‘give me this and I’ll…’ or ‘a couple of years and I’ll…’ and I don’t know whether they’re joking with me or whether I should take that conversation a bit further,” Umaga told The Breakdown.

“Obviously, being here with the Manu (Samoa), (I’m) making sure that we’re keeping focussed but don’t worry, I’m keeping tabs on everyone that’s been coming to me and I’ll be chasing it up.”

The club is based in Auckland and plays home games at Mt Smart stadium but represents Pasifika people worldwide. The support and beauty of the region were heavily felt in the team’s lone game in Apia, a tight encounter with the Reds which left fans wanting more fixtures in the Islands.

“I think that’s obviously the goal,” Umaga said of the potential for more home games across the Pacific.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re representing the people that we represent and they see us, and not just on TV but out on the streets and in their communities.

“I think that’s a big thing because we need people behind us and when we feel that, the players will lift, as I’ve seen here in Samoa. We’ve just come back from Savai’i and the communities, they love their rugby, they love their people and they really want to see people do well, they’re such a giving community and it’s just great to see.

“It makes your heart well deeply for them and just makes you want to make sure that we don’t do anything wrong for them, if that makes sense. It hits different over here when you’re amongst it.

“So I think every player that’s within Moana has to feel that, whether it’s in Samoa or whether it’s in Tonga or wherever else we may go in the Pacific, even in Auckland.”

The Fijian Drua have been a force to be reckoned with in their home matches since joining Super Rugby two seasons ago, losing just one match at home in the 2023 season. Every game featured a packed crowd and captivated the local fans.

Apia provided a similar level of engagement in its one match and the Moana side certainly looked inspired by the support.

Fans will have to wait and see what the schedule provides in 2024.