A Pacific team competing in the domestic New Zealand rugby competition will be key to any Pacific Super Rugby team getting off the ground according to feasibility study carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and trade.
Players like former All Black Malekai Fekitoa could be part of a Pacific Super Rugby side. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
MFAT has today released a heavily redacted version of the study it had carried out in December.
In May MFAT confirmed it had commissioned a study into the feasibility of a Pacific based Super rugby side.
It's now released some of a 33 page study carried out by accountants Crowe Horwarth which suggests the team would attract Europe based Pacific players wanting to return home and coming to the end of their professional careers.
New Zealand and Australian based Pacific players playing at the top domestic level and Pacific super rugby players currently based in New Zealand, Australia or South Africa.
But for the team to be successful the study says there'd need to a feeder side competing in either the Mitre 10 Cup or Heartland competition.
Saru Rabeni - Pacific Islanders. Italy v Pacific Islanders. Reggio Emilia, Italy. Saturday 22 November 2008. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
It also notes the team would rely heavily on support from expat Pacific communities as well as the local communities in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
The report says Super Rugby's governing body SANZAAR appears likely to support a Pacific Island team from 2021 as they look to expand into North America.
One of SANZAAR's key drivers is to grow viewership and that can be achieved by expanding into emerging markets such as the United States.
The report suggest the large expat Pacific communities in America could help achieve this and says the majority of those Fijian, Tongan and Samoan's are dedicated rugby fans and likely to support the team.
It suggests the Pasifika team be based in Suva, but says it's essential one home game is sold to a non-Pacific host such as Auckland, the West Coast of the US, to gain the support of the large expat communities in America, Australia and New Zealand.
The team would be funded by private investors with the support of the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan governments.
The report specifies the need for a greater player base in the Pacific and says getting a Samoan and Tongan team into the Australian or New Zealand domestic competitions, such as Fiji have in Australia's NRC, is essential to the team's sustainability.
While financial details have been removed the report does say $2 million could be generated from tickets sales with a home venue in Suva.
-RNZ