Moana Pasifika CEO keeps hope of last-minute lifeline to save side
There might be life in Moana Pasifika yet. After five years in Super Rugby, the franchise confirmed on Wednesday it had made the "difficult and heartbreaking decision" to disband at the end of the 2026 season due to financial pressures and structural challenges.
It followed reports Moana's Pasifika's owner, the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), was cutting ties with the club in the face of a $10 million funding shortfall.
However Debbie Sorensen, who is chief executive of both the club and PMA, is still hopeful someone could step in to save the club.
"We're very hopeful that additional investors may come forward because often in this situation people who have extra resources haven't really thought about taking a franchise," Sorensen told Morning Report.
"We have previously gone out to market for investors and that didn't bear any fruit for us which leaves us in the position we are in now.…more
Former Ports of Auckland chief found guilty over Samoan Father of 7's death
The High Court has dismissed an appeal from a former Ports of Auckland chief executive who was found guilty in relation to the death of a worker.
A stevedore, Pala'amo Kalati, aged 31, was killed by a falling container in August 2020.
Tony Gibson was then prosecuted by Maritime New Zealand under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The maritime watchdog filed charges accusing Gibson of breaching his duties as an officer and making decisions which jeopardised the safety of port workers.
He was found guilty after a trial in the Auckland District Court in 2024, fined $130,000 and ordered to pay a further $60,000 in legal costs.
The High Court has now upheld the verdict and the sentence.
Maritime New Zealand Director Kirstie Hewlett said she was pleased to see the High Court reinforced that Gibson did not exercise his due diligence responsibility to ensure the port complied with its health and safety obligations
The case is part of a wider pattern of safety issues at the port, including several serious incidents and deaths.…more
What does automatic US draft registration mean for the Pacific?
Automatic draft registration expands in the US, but Pacific impact remains unclear
A new United States policy will automatically register eligible men for the Selective Service system from December, marking a major update to how the US prepares for a potential military draft.
While the policy does not reinstate conscription, it expands automatic registration into a nationwide system for the first time. Any actual draft would still require approval from Congress.
What is confirmed
Under the new measure, all male US citizens and “every other male person” living in the United States between the ages of 18 and 26 will be automatically registered for Selective Service.
This includes green card holders, refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented men. Men on non immigrant visas are exempt.
Men who fail to register can face penalties including loss of federal benefits, fines and potential imprisonment under US law.
The Selective Service system has not been used for an active draft since 1973, during the Vietnam War.…more
HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - DANIELLA BELFORD
SAMOAN
GOLFER
Please introduce yourself, your Pacific Heritage, where you grew up?
When did you first fall in love with golf, and what motivated you to continue playing from such a young age?
Papatoetoe local body election results reveal a surprise victor
A Labour candidate has secured top spot in the Papatoetoe local body election in Auckland, with three members of the Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team also claiming seats.
The preliminary result marks a shift from the 2025 election, where the Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team swept all four seats.
Although three of its members have been returned in the latest vote, Labour candidate and petitioner of the judicial inquiry Lehopoaome Vi Hausia has emerged as the leading vote-getter, breaking the group's clean sweep.
Vi Hausia secured the top spot with 2788 votes, followed by Jeet Singh of the Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team with 2484.
Fellow Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team candidate Sandeep Saini received 2479 votes, while Kushma Nair claimed the fourth and final seat with 2383.
Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team's Kunal Bhalla narrowly missed out, finishing fifth with 2343 votes.
Preliminary voter turnout for the election was 23.7 percent.
Final results are expected to be confirmed on Friday once special votes have been counted.
Labour's Vi Hausia said it was a "huge sigh of relief" to see the election process conclude.…more
Pasifika voices take centre stage in powerful retelling of 'A View from the Bridge'
A new production of A View from the Bridge at Q Theatre is hitting close to home, with Pacific artists telling a story many families will recognise all too well.
Presented by Silo Theatre and directed by Anapela Polata'ivao, this version centres migrant voices, turning a classic into something deeply personal for Pasifika communities.
“In this instance, the stars have aligned at a time where the lived experiences of our Pasifika actors, whether directly or through their bloodlines, join forces to tackle Arthur Miller’s 'A View From The Bridge.' It speaks to the bones of our migration story and our Dawn Raids experience.”
That connection is what makes this production hit differently. What unfolds on stage, undocumented family members seeking safety, the risk of being exposed, the tension inside the home, is not distant history for many Pacific families in Aotearoa.
It echoes the legacy of the Dawn Raids, when Pacific communities lived with the fear of authorities knocking at the door. That fear, and the choices families made to protect each other, sit at the heart of this story.…more
Samoa Wins 6 Gold Medals at World Muay Thai Championship | Exclusive Fighter & Coach Interviews
Samoa’s first-ever Muay Thai team has made history at the 21st World Muay Thai Championship in Thailand, bringing home three gold medals.
In this exclusive video, fighters and coaches (Eti Naseri, Felise Sua Pitone, Nooroa Anguna) share their journey, challenges, and what it means to represent Samoa on the world stage. Featuring insights from the team behind this historic campaign and the next generation inspired by legends like Ray Sefo, Joseph Parker and Mark Hunt.
Credits
Camp Op & Editor: Tui Akauola
Interveiwer: Destiny Momoisea
Gym: Ghost Fist Lee Gar
Samoan baller Charlisse Leger-Walker Makes History with NCAA Basketball Title
Today will surely go down as one of the great days in New Zealand basketball, with Charlisse Leger-Walker becoming the first woman from Aotearoa to win an NCAA basketball title in the United States.
Leger-Walker's UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) has beaten South Carolina in the championship game 79-51.
The 24-year-old was a key figure in the win. She was in the starting five and was on court for 26 minutes, scoring ten points, including two three pointers.
She also claimed four rebounds and two assists.
Leger-Walker, who is from Hamilton, is from a basketball-rich family, with she, her sister Krystal and their mother Leanne having all played for New Zealand.
In 2018, she became the youngest player to play for the Tall Ferns, when she debuted as a 16-year-old at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
She's had a lengthy American college career. She spent several years with Washington State, before transferring to UCLA after being granted a fifth season of eligibilty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.…more
Jason Momoa, Taika Waititi and Cliff Curtis are backing Polynesian storytelling
“It’s an Indigenous-owned studio and the focus for us is bringing that work and uplifting - well, actually not just our people but people in the industry”
Jason Momoa, Taika Waititi and Cliff Curtis have acquired Studio West in West Auckland through their Āriki Group, positioning themselves not just as creatives, but as the ones putting resource behind the kinds of stories Māori and Pacific communities have already proven work.
Across the last two decades, some of Aotearoa’s most successful and widely recognised films have come out of that space. Whale Rider reached global audiences with a story grounded in whakapapa. Sione's Wedding showed Pacific stories could carry at the box office here. Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople followed, each reinforcing that local stories, told from here, don’t need to be adjusted to connect.
More recently, Tinā and Chief of War have continued that trajectory, showing the same stories can scale internationally without losing their grounding.…more
Things to do in Auckland this long weekend
Looking for fun things to do in Auckland this Easter long weekend? From immersive theatre and glowing light festivals to carnival thrills and family-friendly egg hunts, there’s something for everyone. Here’s our pick of the best events happening from April 3–6.
Swimming with Sharks
When: Friday, April 3 | 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Where: Auckland Museum, Central Auckland
Ages: All ages
Dive into the depths of the ocean without getting wet! Swimming with Sharks is a theatrical, immersive experience created with the internationally renowned puppet theatre company Erth. Discover the diversity of sharks in New Zealand waters, from the bioluminescent kitefin shark to a five-metre-long great white, all brought to life through expressive puppetry.
Shows run for 20 minutes, with children invited to get up close on floor cushions and adults welcome to enjoy from sofas at the back.
Dreamer: Auckland’s New Indoor Light Festival
When: Friday, April 3 – Sunday, April 12 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where: New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), Central Auckland
Ages: All ages
Step inside a glowing world of colour and imagination at Dreamer.…more