New Zealand Samoan actor KJ Apa is Moana Pasifika's first official fan after securing the Super Rugby club's inaugural season membership.
Moana Pasifika will debut in Super Rugby Pacific next year. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga 2020 / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd
The 24 year-old Riverdale star is the nephew of Moana Pasifika Trust chair and Samoan and All Blacks rugby legend Savae Sir Michael Jones.
With ties to the villages of Moata'a and Nuusuatia in Samoa, where his father Tupa'i Keneti Apa was bestowed his paramount chiefly title, Apa was a talented rugby player at high school before making it big in Hollywood.
The US-based actor said he will be supporting Moana Pasifika from afar and hopes to head home to New Zealand to catch a game as soon as he can.
"I'm really proud of my Samoan heritage and am so excited to be supporting our Pasifika community," he said.
"I know some of the guys in the team and I'm looking forward to seeing them get out on the field and represent our people well."
A further nine Moana Pasifika season memberships will be put up for auction on Trade Me this afternoon, which include a Platinum season pass to home matches at Mt Smart Stadium and a range of team merchandise.
Mt Smart Stadium has been confirmed at the home ground for Moana Pasifika. Photo: Photosport
Moana Pasifika Trust vice-chair Debbie Sorenson expects the packages to sell quickly.
"Our memberships are numbered for life - once secured no one else will ever get the same membership number and we're giving our fans the chance to lay claim to numbers 2 through to 10," she said.
"Moana Pasifika is more than a rugby team, we're a charitable trust and we exist to empower our Pasifika community. All proceeds from the auction will go to community initiatives for our people.
"Our members will be the heartbeat of our club. They're part of our extended `āiga, our kāinga (family) with special access and events that will make them feel part of the team. We were created for Pasifika, by Pasifika and we're asking our community to get in behind us and join the movement."
Moana Pasifika will debut in the revamped Super Rugby Pacific competition in February next year.
Sorenson said the team's home matches at Mt Smart Stadium will celebrate all things Pasifika, with a festival atmosphere including Pasifika food and Pasifika entertainment.
"We intend to make it a really special occasion. Our fans already know and love Mt Smart Stadium and we're gearing up to fill the stands with Pasifika colours come game day," she said.
Season memberships open to the public on 1 November at 9.00am via the Moana Pasifika website, with the first wave of 1,000 members to receive a 25 per cent discount.