Moana Pasifika

Started watching and following these guys this season...and although they were well beaten by the 'Canes yesterday, it's been a memorable season for them ( they needed a bp win to get to the play offs, but as it is will finish mid table).

As I'm getting older I seem to be drawn to the old fashioned rugby values of comradery, togetherness, core values and beliefs...this team is built around those. All bar one player is of Pacific Island heritage, with Tana Umaga as Head coach.

Of course bringing Ardie Savea (absolute class)in has helped, but mostly it's the total and complete buy in from all the players and staff that catches my eye.
Stephen Jones has to get credit for this role as backs coach too.

Great fun and pretty inspiring.

It does make me think fondly (and I'm not baiting anyone here) about the sustainability of the 'Welsh' heritage that was always at the core of the Scarlets region.

Wil Chips wrote: Started watching and following these guys this season...and although they were well beaten by the 'Canes yesterday, it's been a memorable season for them ( they needed a bp win to get to the play offs, but as it is will finish mid table). As I'm getting older I seem to be drawn to the old fashioned rugby values of comradery, togetherness, core values and beliefs...this team is built around those. All bar one player is of Pacific Island heritage, with Tana Umaga as Head coach. Of course bringing Ardie Savea (absolute class)in has helped, but mostly it's the total and complete buy in from all the players and staff that catches my eye. Stephen Jones has to get credit for this role as backs coach too. Great fun and pretty inspiring. It does make me think fondly (and I'm not baiting anyone here) about the sustainability of the 'Welsh' heritage that was always at the core of the Scarlets region.

I think my hope is those values and team make up will differ in the next few years.

At the moment we have had to go outside for player, looking at the crop coming through, we could be ok for a few years yet 🤞🤞

Read an article recently where Dwayne is getting very enthused about the talent coming through. He mentioned Leggatt-Jones & Wil Evans as two young players that he felt would get some URC time next season while also suggesting what a huge help Jake is going to be to Wil's development. 

Raised By Peregos wrote: Probably a bad example, but PSG in the football are trying to get back to having a 'home grown' team - they do have Paris as a player base mind! Watching Welcome to Wrexham and this week they were talking about the importance and cost of setting up the youth academy. Very interesting. Something I'd never considered but there are 4 tiers of academies.. going from the 4th to 3rd tier cost about £2m to set-up. It's a lot of money to get a sustainable long-term youth system in place. But imperative as the team moves up the leagues. Leinster's current success is largely down to the fact they set this up right down to schools system about, what, 10-15 years ago? Add to that the preferential treatment with budgets and it's easy to see why they went from average to world-beaters.  I echo Will's thoughts. I think of older Scarlets sides, of Man Utd's 'kids' and others. I DO think we heading back in that direction, and I'm hoping, no praying, that this fuss with the WRU doesn't stop it. Flip side, we might HAVE to rely on youth systems for a while so, unintended consequences and all that...

From what I can see from my grandson's involvement with a pro football academy, they are scared of missing the next Gareth Bale, which of course could underpin the club's income stream for years ( should they unearth one).
Of course if your not the next Gareth Bale the optics around how you are 'processed' aren't great.

Anyway. Good to see an U20 Moana Pacifica team playing this season too.